Democracy Under Siege as President Samia Suluhu of Tanzania Jailed All Her Opponents

Jamaica Live International News– | Oct 29, 2025

Tanzania heads to the polls this Wednesday, October 29, 2025 — but few believe it will be a real contest. President Samia Suluhu Hassan, the country’s first female leader, is poised to easily retain power after jailing or disqualifying her major opponents, creating what rights groups have called a climate of fear and repression.

Opposition Silenced, Parties Banned

The country’s two main opposition parties — Chadema and ACT-Wazalendo — were both barred from participating in the presidential race.

• Chadema’s leader, Tundu Lissu, was jailed on treason charges he insists were politically motivated.
• ACT-Wazalendo’s candidate, Luhaga Mpina, was also disqualified from the ballot.

That left only 16 minor political parties — most without meaningful support — to face the powerful Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), which has ruled Tanzania uninterrupted since independence.

Tanzanians flooded the streets on election day to protest a corrupt and broken system — yet the silence from the media is deafening.

Abductions, Killings, and Fear

Human rights organizations have accused the Suluhu administration of intensifying political repression ahead of the polls.
Reports of abductions, arbitrary arrests, and extrajudicial killings have become more frequent. Opposition members and journalists have been targets of intimidation and surveillance.

On election day, violent protests erupted across major cities, met with a heavy-handed police response and an internet blackout that further silenced dissent.

“The atmosphere is chilling,” one observer told Jamaica Live. “It feels less like an election and more like a coronation.”

Critics argues that Journalists in Tanzania are either afraid, silenced, or compromised. This was the moment for the press to stand tall — to show the world the troops on the streets, the fires burning, and the people demanding freedom. Instead, many users on social media have said they are witnessing what appears to be a carefully staged narrative of “peaceful voting,” as if the nation isn’t in turmoil.

“To the Tanzanian media: you must choose — stand with the people or stand with the oppressors. The press exists to defend democracy, not to decorate dictatorship. When history looks back on this election, will it remember that you spoke truth to power — or that you stayed silent?”, one social media user wrote.

From Reformist to Repressor

When President Samia Suluhu Hassan took office in 2021 following the death of John Magufuli, she was hailed as a reformer — a leader who might soften Tanzania’s authoritarian image. Her “Four Rs” agenda — reconciliation, resilience, reform, and rebuilding — reopened doors to foreign investors, mended ties with the World Bank and IMF, and restored Tanzania’s credibility abroad.

But analysts say that hopeful period has ended.

“She came in with a conciliatory tone, but now she has become bold and makes tough decisions that many did not expect,” said Tanzanian political analyst Mohammed Issa. “She’s now widely blamed for abductions, killings, and repression — things that are worse than under Magufuli.”

Democracy in Decline

Freedom House, the U.S.-based democracy watchdog, downgraded Tanzania from “partly free” in 2020 to “not free” by 2024, citing escalating state violence, censorship, and lack of judicial independence.

Analysts predict low voter turnout this week, reflecting growing public apathy. Many Tanzanians believe the outcome is already decided — a landslide victory for the CCM and another chapter in the erosion of democratic space in East Africa.

The Illusion of Choice

With the two major opposition leaders silenced and fringe candidates offering no real alternative, President Samia Suluhu’s first presidential election looks less like a democratic exercise and more like an endorsement of autocracy.

For millions of Tanzanians, Wednesday’s vote won’t be about choosing their leader — but confirming the state’s control.