Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan was officially inaugurated on Monday at the State House in Dodoma, marking the start of her new term following a highly disputed election. The 65-year-old leader, who will be deputized by Emmanuel Nchimbi, took the oath of office during a low-key ceremony that was closed to the public, with only a limited number of guests in attendance.
The inauguration took place under tense circumstances, as the country remains under an internet blackout and tight security following violent post-election protests. According to the opposition party Chadema, hundreds of people were killed by security forces during demonstrations rejecting the October 29 election results.
Chadema, which was barred from participating in the polls, dismissed the election as a “sham” and called for fresh voting. Despite widespread criticism, the Tanzania Electoral Commission declared President Suluhu the winner with 98 percent of the vote.
In response to the unrest, authorities imposed a curfew in Dar es Salaam, with the regional commissioner, Alfred Chalamila, warning that police would take firm action against anyone attempting to disrupt peace. The government has denied the opposition’s reported death toll, labeling it as “hugely exaggerated,” and rejected international criticism of its human rights record.
President Suluhu, who first assumed office in 2021 following the death of her predecessor John Magufuli, is the first woman to lead Tanzania and the first president to have been born in Zanzibar.
A veteran member of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party, Suluhu began her political career as a member of the Zanzibar House of Representatives, where she also served in ministerial roles. She was re-elected in 2005 and later joined the Tanzanian National Assembly in 2010, representing the Makunduchi constituency. During President Jakaya Kikwete’s administration, she served as Minister of State for Union Affairs and later as Vice Chair of the Constitutional Assembly in 2014.
Her political rise continued in 2015 when the late President Magufuli selected her as his running mate, making her Tanzania’s first female vice president.
This marks her first full term as an elected president, a tenure that begins amid deep political division and international scrutiny of Tanzania’s democratic process.
