“Democracy Must Prevail”: Ruto Stays Neutral on Tanzania Election Amid Deadly Protests

President William Ruto has stayed cautious on Tanzania’s contested election. President Samia Suluhu was re-elected amid deadly unrest. Speaking to Al Jazeera at the UN Social Development Summit in Qatar, Ruto avoided directly judging the polls. He stressed the need to protect democracy.

“It is not for me to judge Tanzania. In Kenya, you can never get 96%. Every country has a way of doing its stuff. But I think democracy is the best governance system,” Ruto said. He added leaders must listen to alternative views without using violence.

Tanzania’s Independent National Electoral Commission declared Samia the winner on November 1. She got 31,913,866 votes — 97.66% of the total. The landslide sparked nationwide protests, led by youth and opposition CHADEMA. Human rights groups report over 1,000 deaths. The government disputes this. At least 145 people face treason charges. Many remain missing.

Police have intensified crackdowns. CHADEMA confirmed the arrest of Deputy Secretary General Amani Golugwa. Top party leaders were also detained. On Friday, 22 people, including influencer Jennifer Jovin Bilikija, were arraigned for treason and conspiracy.

Former Botswana President Ian Khama called Samia’s victory illegitimate. “I for once do not recognize the person who was inaugurated as the President of Tanzania. She is an illegitimate president,” he said.

Kenyan nationals in Tanzania were also targeted. Teacher John Okoth Ogutu, 33, was shot and killed. Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo said the state is investigating.

Ruto urged leaders to uphold democracy and ensure fair representation. “We must stick to democracy and give ourselves the chance to listen to alternative views without injecting violence,” he said, emphasizing peace.

The Pentecostal Voice of Kenya condemned the killings. They called on the government to engage diplomatically to protect Kenyans caught in the unrest.