This woman Suluhu: From 'gracious mama' to agent of fear

Tanzania’s ruling party Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) presidential candidate and incumbent President Samia Suluhu Hassan delivers her remarks during the party's closing campaign rally in Mwanza on October 28, 2025.[AFP]

As thousands protested in the streets across major cities in Tanzania, it became increasingly clear how far besieged President Samia Suluhu, the first woman to hold the high office, had fallen.

Resentment at her administration, criticised as autocratic, has been simmering for months before the defining elections held on Wednesday, whose result now hangs in the balance.