More than 37 million of Tanzania’s 60 million citizens went to the polls on Wednesday, October 29, 2025, to elect the country’s next President, Members of Parliament, and District Leaders.
The vote marks Tanzania’s seventh general election since the adoption of multi-party politics in 1992.
On the presidential ballot are 17 candidates, including three women — among them incumbent President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who has led the country since 2021 following the death of former President John Pombe Magufuli.
President Samia faces contenders such as Kunje Ngombale of the AAFP party, Hassan Almas representing the NRA, Coaster Kibonde of Chama Cha Makini, and Doyo Hassan Doyo of the NLD, among others.
However, key opposition figures — Tundu Lissu of CHADEMA and Luhaga Mpina, leader of ACT-Wazalendo — were barred from contesting. Lissu has been in detention since April 2025 on charges of inciting public unrest, largely linked to his calls for an election boycott, while Mpina was disqualified for allegedly failing to meet candidacy requirements.
Human rights advocates have criticized the elections, accusing President Samia’s administration of restricting political competition and labeling the process as “the election of Samia and Samia alone.”
If re-elected, this would be Suluhu’s first official term after completing Magufuli’s mandate.
President Suluhu has been praised for progressive reforms in social policy, including allowing teenage mothers to return to school. Her leadership marked a shift from her predecessor’s stance on public health, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic — a time when Magufuli denied its existence, but Suluhu’s administration embraced vaccination and global cooperation.