President William Ruto missed Monday’s ceremony in Dodoma to swear in Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan, sending his deputy Kithure Kindiki to stand in for him.
The event came just days after a disputed election on October 29 that handed Suluhu an overwhelming victory, with the electoral body announcing she had secured more than 97 percent of the vote.
Earlier, President Ruto had congratulated Suluhu through an official message, praising her leadership and promising to foster further relations between Kenya and Tanzania.
In Dodoma, only about three heads of state attended in person, among them Somalia’s Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Zambia’s Hakainde Hichilema, and Mozambique’s Daniel Chapo.
Reelection for Suluhu has been marred by the opposition crackdown in the lead-up to the polls. In April, one of the most potent opposition leaders, Tundu Lissu of CHADEMA, was arrested and charged with treason after rallying for reforms.
Luhaga Mpina from the ACT-Wazalendo party was also barred from the race amidst outrage from supporters.
On election day, the anger spilled onto the streets, as protests erupted in several towns, and at least 500 people may have died in clashes with security forces, human rights groups asserted.
The situation is still tense in Tanzania, with the government cutting off the internet and access to major media, but reports of fuel and food shortages are streaming in from various areas.
Normally a colourful public affair, the swearing-in of Suluhu was confined to a military parade ground in Dodoma and ordinary citizens were kept away.
But despite the low-key swearing-in, international observers and regional allies alike have called on Tanzania to respect democratic principles and strive for national reconciliation as President Suluhu starts her term.
