2025 elections

The elections were held on October 29, 2025, when citizens voted for the President, members of the National Assembly and local councillors. Incumbent President Samia Suluhu Hassan of the long-ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party was declared the winner with approximately 97.6 % of the vote, securing a second full term.

In the lead-up to the election, Tanzania’s two largest opposition parties were either partially excluded or outright barred. The main opposition, CHADEMA, refused to sign a Code of Conduct and ended up boycotting the vote. Its leader, Tundu Lissu, was arrested on treason charges and remained in detention for months. Another key opposition figure, Luhaga Mpina of ACT-Wazalendo, was disqualified from running.

Voting day itself was tense. Protests erupted in major cities including Dar es Salaam and Mwanza, driven by anger over the exclusion of major opposition voices and concerns about a lack of fairness. Security forces imposed curfews, deployed military units and there were reports of violence that left dozens and potentially hundreds of people dead, although exact numbers remain unclear due to conflicting accounts.