Samia Suluhu Sworn In For Second Term as Tanzania President Following Violent Election

 

Tanzanian President, Samia Suluhu Hassan has been sworn in for a second term.

This followed a controversial and violent election that saw many k!lled.

She was sworn-in on Monday, under heightened security measures.

The swearing-in ceremony took place at a military parade ground in Dodoma, a notable shift from the traditional open-stadium inauguration.

The event, which was closed to the public, was broadcast live on state television and attended by select regional leaders and dignitaries, including the presidents of Somalia, Zambia, Mozambique, and Burundi.

 

President Samia secured 98 percent of the total vote, in an election where major opposition figures were either jailed or disqualified from contesting.

 

Her sweeping victory, however, has been shadowed by international criticism over electoral transparency and the violent crackdown that followed the polls.

 

Rights groups and observers reported hundreds of deaths during post-election demonstrations, though the government has downplayed the scale of the violence.

 

Independent verification of casualties has been hampered by a nationwide internet blackout that began on election day.

 

Wearing her signature red headscarf and dark sunglasses, President Samia took her oath of office and delivered a speech praising the electoral commission for conducting what she called a process of “unquestionable efficiency.”

 

She also expressed sorrow over the loss of lives and destruction of property, calling the violence a stain on Tanzania’s image.

 

Samia added that ongoing investigations had revealed the involvement of non-Tanzanian nationals in some of the disturbances, assuring citizens that security agencies are pursuing the matter.

 

The second-term inauguration marks a pivotal moment for Samia Suluhu Hassan, who first assumed office in 2021 following the death of former President John Magufuli.

 

However, the tense atmosphere surrounding her re-election has deepened concerns over democracy and human rights in the East African nation.