Tanzania’s president-elect Samia Suluhu on Saturday made history by becoming the first elected female president of Tanzania and in East Africa.
Garnering 31.91 million votes that translated to 97.66 percent of the total, Ms Hassan made an emphatic claim to a seat she had been holding after the death of her predecessor, John Pombe Magufuli.
The announcement of the presidential result on Saturday morning by the Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) was a promise kept as the polls body had promised a declaration within 72 hours.
“Following section 41 (6) of the Constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania of 1977… I announce Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan as having been elected the president of the United Republic of Tanzania through the Chama cha Mapinduzi party,” said the Inec chairman, Justice Jacobs Mwambegele.
Later on Saturday, Ms Hassan collected her certificate. In her victory speech, she said the overwhelming victory was a sign that the public had given Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM) the green light to implement its promises.
Congratulating the other presidential contenders in the race for “conducting campaigns with civility”, Ms Hassan said the time has now come for Tanzanians to stand together as a nation.
“The 2025 election is now done. It is now time to stand together as a nation,” Ms Hassan said.
She also congratulated Inec for presiding over a “free, open and fair” election.
Ms Hassan termed “uncouth” the protests witnessed in various areas on Election Day.
“What happened in Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Mwanza and Songwe were neither civil nor patriotic,” she said.
“A patriot builds the country, not to tear down what was built by the energy and the sweat of the citizens. The government utterly condemns those happenings,” added Ms Hassan. “On the issue of the county’s safety and the United Republic of Tanzania, there is no alternative but to use all the security tactics to remain with a safe country.”
Saturday also saw the swearing in of Mr Hussein Ali Mwinyi, who had on Friday been declared the winner of the Wednesday elections in the semi-autonomous archipelago that joined with Tanganyika to form the United Republic of Tanzania in 1964.
It was expected that Ms Suluhu’s swearing-in would happen any time. Residents were awaiting Inec’s announcement on when that would happen.
