Suluhu Vs Samia: Tanzania President runs solo race after brutally edging out critics

As Tanzanians decide who will be their next president today, major obstacles have been placed in the path of foreign journalists seeking to cover the elections in which the incumbent Samia Suluhu is practically running a solo race.

In Nairobi, officers at the High Commission of Tanzania told the Standard Media Group to get authorisation from the Ministry of Information in Dar es Salaam before visiting their offices for accreditation.

They were then required to travel and present the papers to the Independent National Electoral Commission to be given an observation badge.

“Umepata kibali kutoka kwa Wizara ya Habari? (Do you have clearance from the Information ministry?)”, said a woman who directed the journalist to Dar es Salaam before visiting their office at Re-Insurance Plaza.

Ordinarily, journalists and other media professionals are supposed to present an authorisation letter from their media house, and then apply for a permit at the High Commission after filling application forms on their website.

President Suluhu’s government has received heavy criticism for locking the main opposition party candidates from running for presidential, parliamentary and civic elections and is now getting a backlash for blocking media coverage.

Murders and kidnappings

On Tuesday, the Associated Press painted a gory picture of events happening in the country in an article headlined “Murder, kidnap, censorship: the ‘new normal’ of Tanzania politics”.

The article describes how the President is going for nothing less than a huge victory similar to the 99 per cent Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM) won in local polls last year.

“A priest attacked after a meeting about democracy with faith leaders, an opposition official’s corpse found doused in acid, an ex-ambassador missing from his blood-stained home -- this is the ‘new normal’ in Tanzania,” says the article.

Her main opponent, Tundu Lissu, is on trial for treason, facing a potential death penalty, and his party, Chadema, is barred from running, while the only other serious candidate, Luhaga Mpina of ACT Wazalendo, was disqualified on technicalities.

“We see abductions, disappearances, killing of politicians, but there is no condemnation from the government,” Father Charles Kitima, the priest who was attacked in April and suffered severe head injuries, told AP.

Kitima, who spoke on the phone to AP journalists based in Nairobi as foreign journalists have been largely barred from covering the elections, says police know his attackers, but they have taken no action, and whoever criticises the ruling party is not safe.

The news agency also spoke by phone with Abdul Nondo, a youth leader from the ACT Wazalendo Party, who was abducted after an opposition rally in December.

“You talk so much. We’re going to kill you,” he was threatened and dumped on a beach after hours of beatings, with a warning to stop criticising the government.

The Tanganyika Law Society also says it has confirmed 83 abductions since the 65-year-old leader took over power from President John Magufuli in 2021.

Press freedom crusaders, Article 19, have also raised concerns over the intensifying crackdown on civic space, political opposition, and regional solidarity.

The upcoming elections slated for October 29, 202,5, are at serious risk of lacking credibility, as authorities intensify repression against opposition parties, journalists, and civil society groups. This growing campaign of intimidation has created a pervasive climate of fear, undermining the conditions for a free and fair vote,’ said Mugambi Kiai, Eastern Africa regional director.

On 22 October, John Heche, the deputy leader of Chadema, was arrested outside the High Court in Dar es Salaam, where the treason case of his party leader Lissu was underway.

The arrest came days after he and other party members were barred from travelling to Kenya to attend the funeral of the former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

Online media outlets were also recently prohibited from publishing alleged unverified information, especially during the election period, as part of adhering to broadcasting regulations.

Andrew Kisaka, manager of Broadcasting Services at the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority, accused social media users of spreading false reports to attract traffic.

“Media outlets are also not allowed to report anything that is not actively happening in the electoral area, including personal opinions. Coverage should only include visible facts, such as views from international observers and registered voters,” said Kisaka.

Media suppression began in 2020 under President Magufuli’s administration, which restricted access to X, then known as Twitter.

A year later, he did it again, raising concerns about digital freedoms in the country.

The internet observatory group NetBlocks confirmed that X had become inaccessible across major internet service providers in the country. 

Modern-day oppressor

Human rights advocates and press freedom groups have increasingly criticised the country’s tightening grip on digital platforms, warning that such actions undermine free expression and democratic accountability. Tanzania has, over the years, steadily expanded its control over digital spaces by imposing various restrictions on social media usage and online expression.

Critics now say President Suluhu is turning into a modern-day Pericles, the ancient Athenian leader in Greece, who consolidated power and became the unchallengeable ruler of Athens after removing his political opponents, most notably through the expulsion of Cimon and the murder of Ephialtes in 461 BC.

Some opposition leaders, like Chadema senior official Ali Mohamed Kiba, were also reportedly found dead in September last year. 

Early this month, AP reported the disappearance of Humphrey Polepole, a former ambassador to Cuba, a few months after resigning through a letter criticising President Suluhu’s government. His family found broken doors and blood in his home.