Tanzania’s general election drew millions to the polls on Wednesday, with voting and counting taking place under the watchful eye of security forces and the shadow of regional unease over the country’s political climate.
According to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), more than 37 million registered voters were eligible to cast their ballots across 99,000 polling stations nationwide. Polls opened at 7 a.m. local time and closed at 4 p.m., with counting beginning immediately after. Preliminary results were expected within 24 hours, though INEC has up to seven days to declare the final outcome.
Officials described the process as largely peaceful, despite reports of isolated disturbances in some urban areas. Security remained visibly tight around tallying centres in Dar es Salaam, Arusha and Dodoma, where crowds gathered late into the night as the counting began.
“We are satisfied with how the process has gone so far, though we remain vigilant,” said an election official in Dodoma.
Still, the atmosphere beyond Tanzania’s borders was far from calm. A coalition of regional rights groups, including the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC), issued a joint statement expressing alarm over what it called “grave violations” surrounding the vote.
“The tragic occurrences we are witnessing in Tanzania go against the very principles that underpin the East African Community,” the statement read. “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
The coalition alleged a pattern of arbitrary arrests, abductions and enforced disappearances of opposition figures and government critics in the weeks leading up to the polls claims Tanzanian authorities have repeatedly dismissed as false and politically motivated.
Rights groups also criticised the government’s decision to restrict foreign journalists and international observers, calling it a setback for transparency and accountability.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan, Tanzania’s first female leader, came to power in 2021 following the death of her predecessor, John Magufuli, whose rule was marked by an uncompromising grip on dissent. Initially hailed for softening the country’s political tone and reopening media space, President Suluhu now faces mounting scrutiny over her government’s handling of this election.
Her administration has defended the voting process, insisting it met international standards and reflected the will of the people.
As ballots continued to be counted late into the night, Tanzanians waited anxiously, not only for results, but for reassurance that their country’s democratic promise remains intact.
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