President Samia Suluhu Hassan claimed a staggering 97.66% of the vote in Tanzania's general election, dominating every single constituency, according to the national electoral commission's announcement on state television Saturday.
The landslide win, which paves the way for her second term, comes just days after deadly street protests erupted across the country, leaving hundreds dead in a crackdown that has drawn international condemnation.
The results cap a tumultuous week that saw voting day on Wednesday dissolve into widespread chaos.
Crowds, fueled by fury over the barring of the main opposition party Chadema and the ongoing treason trial of its leader, tore down Hassan's campaign posters, torched polling stations, and clashed violently with security forces.
In response, the government imposed a nationwide curfew, shut down internet access nationwide, and restricted journalists' movements, plunging much of the country into an information blackout.
News outlets have been frozen since early Wednesday, with updates trickling out only through official channels.
Human rights organizations painted a grim picture of the lead-up to the polls, describing a "wave of terror" that included high-profile abductions in the final days before voting.
On the streets, the violence was unrelenting: protesters hurled stones at police, who fired back with live rounds and tear gas.
Chadema, the primary opposition force effectively sidelined from the race, alleged that security forces slaughtered "around 700" demonstrators, a tally compiled from hospital and clinic reports across the country.
A security source and a Western diplomat in Dar es Salaam corroborated the scale, estimating deaths "in the hundreds."
Graphic videos circulating on social media, before the shutdown showed bloodied bodies in the streets and protesters being dragged away by masked officers.
The Tanzanian government, however, has vehemently denied any fatalities among protesters.
Foreign Minister Mahmoud Thabit Kombo insisted in a terse statement, "There’s no number until now of any protesters killed," while accusing the opposition of inciting anarchy.
Public outrage has zeroed in on Hassan's son, Abdul Halim Hafidh Ameir, with unverified social media posts branding him the architect of the brutal response.
Adding to the turmoil, rumors swirled of army units defecting to join protesters in certain regions, though military chief Jacob Mkunda swiftly quashed them, labeling the demonstrators "criminals" and pledging full loyalty to the president in a Thursday address.
Hassan, who ascended to the presidency in 2021 following the sudden death of her predecessor John Magufuli, has remained silent since the unrest ignited.
Key opposition figures were jailed or disqualified in the run-up, ensuring a lopsided contest under the watchful eye of a massive security deployment.
The international community has reacted with alarm. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres voiced "deep concern" over the bloodshed, with his spokesman highlighting reports of widespread deaths and injuries during the demonstrations.
Calls for an independent probe into the violence have mounted from human rights watchdogs, even as Hassan prepares for a rapid inauguration ceremony later Saturday, broadcast live on state media.
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