Why Tanzanians are heading to election under heavy cloud of defeat

Tanzania’s President and ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party candidate Samia Suluhu Hassan (C) reacts on stage during a rally to officially launch the party’s campaign in Dar es Salaam on August 28, 2025, ahead of the Tanzanian general election.[AFP]

As Tanzanians go to the polls today, the mood across the country – from the dusty roads of Arusha to the humid coast of Dar es Salaam and the cool hills of Moshi, is one of uneasy calm.

The events leading to this moment have laid bare serious questions about the country’s democracy, political legitimacy, and the fate of ordinary citizens who feel abandoned, silenced, and defeated by the very system meant to represent them.