Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan has officially been inaugurated as the President of the United Republic of Tanzania for a second term.
The 65-year-old leader took the oath of office on Monday, 3rd November 2025, at the State House in Dodoma in a low-key ceremony attended by a few invited guests, with the general public excluded. She will be deputised by Emmanuel Nchimbi.
President Suluhu’s swearing-in took place amid an internet shutdown following widespread election protests. The opposition has alleged that hundreds of people were killed by security forces during the unrest.
Her victory, however, has been rejected by the main opposition party, Chadema, which was barred from participating in the October 29 election. The party has termed the poll a “sham” and called for fresh elections.
According to the country’s electoral commission, Suluhu secured 98 per cent of the vote. Following the announcement, the government imposed a curfew in Dar es Salaam. Regional Commissioner Alfred Chalamila warned that police would take stern action against anyone attempting to disrupt peace and order.
Tanzania’s main opposition maintains that hundreds lost their lives during the protests — a figure the government has dismissed as “hugely exaggerated”, defending its human rights record amid mounting international criticism.
President Suluhu first assumed office in 2021, following the death of President John Magufuli. She made history as Tanzania’s first female president and the first leader of the nation to have been born in Zanzibar.
A seasoned politician and long-serving member of the ruling party, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), Suluhu began her political journey as a member of the Zanzibar House of Representatives, where she was later appointed a minister. She was re-elected in 2005 and held another ministerial position.
In 2010, she joined Tanzania’s National Assembly, representing the Makunduchi constituency, and was appointed Minister of State for Union Affairs by then-President Jakaya Kikwete.
In 2014, she served as Vice Chairperson of the Constitutional Assembly, which was tasked with drafting the country’s new constitution.
The late President Magufuli chose her as his running mate in the 2015 general elections, a ticket that saw them win and ushered her into history as Tanzania’s first female Vice President.
This marks President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s first term as an elected head of state, as she continues to chart her own path as a trailblazer in Tanzanian politics.
