NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 11 — Former Botswana President Ian Khama has branded Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu an “illegitimate leader”, citing widespread irregularities, violence, and suppression of dissent during the country’s disputed October 29 General Election.
The African Union (AU) and regional blocs have condemned the General Election as falling short of democratic standards.
Khama, speaking at a governance forum in Lukenya, Machakos, accused Suluhu’s administration of presiding over a flawed and bloody election that betrayed the continent’s democratic aspirations.
“I for one do not recognize the person who was inaugurated as the president of Tanzania. She is an illegitimate president,” Khama declared.
“The Africa we dream of — peaceful, prosperous and respected — will only emerge when our governance is guided by our values and not by our interests.”
The outspoken former president accused some African leaders of manipulating elections and using state violence to retain power.
“It is totally unacceptable when an African leader, in order to stay in power, will resort to killing his or her own people,” Khama said. “For any leader to think they are the only one who can be president is pathetic.”
Khama’s remarks came just days after the AU Election Observation Mission, led by another former Botswana president, Mokgweetsi Masisi, released a damning preliminary report declaring that Tanzania’s 2025 election “failed to comply with AU principles and international standards.”
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Flawed vote
The AU mission cited legal, institutional, and procedural weaknesses that “undermined the integrity of the process,” highlighting opposition arrests, disqualified candidates, ballot stuffing, restricted media coverage, and a six-day nationwide internet blackout.
The mission further condemned the “excessive use of force” by police and military units against protesters, which reportedly led to several deaths, and called for sweeping constitutional and political reforms to restore public trust.
AU declares Tanzania’s polls flawed
Similarly, observer teams from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the Commonwealth described the polls as deeply flawed, pointing to the detention of opposition leaders, suppression of the press, and misuse of state resources.
SADC Chief Observer Richard Msowoya said constitutional clauses barring judicial review of presidential results posed a “serious obstacle to accountability.”
President Suluhu, who was declared the winner with 98 percent of the vote, dismissed the criticism as “external interference,” maintaining that the polls were “peaceful, fair, and efficient.”
Speaking during her closed-door inauguration at a military base in Dodoma, she praised the National Electoral Commission (NEC) for its “unquestionable efficiency,” insisting Tanzania would not be lectured by outsiders.
“When [observers] praise us, we receive that praise humbly. But when they give us instructions on what to do — we reject those instructions,” Suluhu said, invoking the words of former President Benjamin Mkapa.
With both the AU and SADC urging urgent reforms and opposition figures still detained, Khama’s remarks have amplified pressure on President Suluhu’s administration to confront allegations of authoritarianism and electoral manipulation.
Khama, who has become one of Africa’s most vocal advocates for democratic governance, said the continent’s future depends on leaders who respect constitutionalism, tolerate dissent, and submit to the will of the people.
