There is urgent need to reclaim electoral integrity in East Africa

Tanzanian police officers detain a man accused by electoral officials of attempting to taint the voting process at a polling station in Stone Town on October 29, 2025, during Tanzania’s presidential elections. [AFP]

Electoral integrity in East Africa is a critical test for democratic maturity. It demands far more than the absence of violence. It requires a moral mandate for transparency and institutional independence. A level playing field remains a regional dream. Electoral commissions hardly operate free from executive capture. The rule of law does not bind  incumbents and challengers equally. With the absence of these safeguards, the ballot box becomes a hollow ritual. It fails to translate the people’s will into legitimate authority.