On October 29, Tanzania held national presidential elections — and lo and behold, incumbent President Samia Suluhu Hassan “won” with a staggering 98% of the vote.
Everyone knew what was going on. The election was a sham from the start: her main rival is sitting in prison awaiting a treason trial, and the election commission that certified her landslide is stacked with loyalists.
Election hijinks aren’t new in Tanzania, which has effectively been a one-party state for decades. What was new this time was the public reaction. Tanzanians — who don’t have the same protest culture you see in nearby Kenya — poured into the streets in massive demonstrations demanding political change. For a moment, it felt like something was shifting. And then, just days later, security forces violently shut it all down, killing an unknown number of people.
My guest today, Constantine Manda, an assistant professor at UC Irvine, helps unpack what happened and why this moment matters. We start with the political logic behind Samia declaring herself the 98% winner, then dig into what these protests and the crackdown reveal about Tanzania’s political future.
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