As Tanzania approaches its highly anticipated 2025 presidential election, fears are growing over what critics call the steady collapse of democratic competition under President Samia Suluhu Hassan.
By late October 2025, the Tanzanian leader has reportedly disqualified key opposition candidates from contesting, while tightening political control through arrests and intimidation.
Although Suluhu has not jailed every opposition figure, several prominent rivals have been detained, abducted, or silenced, raising questions about the legitimacy of the upcoming polls.
Opposition leaders and rights groups have described the election as “a procedural coronation rather than a real contest,” warning that the country’s democratic institutions are being eroded under the guise of order and stability.
International observers are now urging the Tanzanian government to restore political freedoms, allow equal participation, and guarantee the safety of all candidates ahead of voting day.
If these concerns are not addressed, analysts fear that Tanzania’s fragile democracy could slide into deeper authoritarianism — undoing years of political progress in East Africa’s once-stable nation.