{"id":4151,"date":"2025-11-10T10:21:35","date_gmt":"2025-11-10T10:21:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thenewsroomhub.co.ke\/?p=4151"},"modified":"2025-11-10T10:35:27","modified_gmt":"2025-11-10T10:35:27","slug":"you-can-never-get-96-percent-in-a-democracy-ruto-says-casting-doubt-on-tanzanias-election","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thenewsroomhub.co.ke\/index.php\/2025\/11\/10\/you-can-never-get-96-percent-in-a-democracy-ruto-says-casting-doubt-on-tanzanias-election\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018You can never get 96 percent in a democracy,\u2019 Ruto says, casting doubt on Tanzania\u2019s election"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Presidet Ruto<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Kenya\u2019s President William Ruto has waded into Tanzania\u2019s disputed election, saying that a 96 percent victory margin is \u201cunrealistic in any democracy,\u201d a comment that has reignited debate over electoral integrity and leadership accountability in East Africa.<\/p>\n

Speaking during an interview with Al Jazeera<\/em> on the sidelines of the World Summit for Social Development in Doha, Ruto was pressed to comment on President Samia Suluhu Hassan\u2019s re-election, which Tanzania\u2019s electoral commission declared at an overwhelming 97.66 percent of the vote.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not for me to judge Tanzania,\u201d Ruto said. \u201cIn a democracy, for example in Kenya, you can never get 96 percent. Every country has a way of doing its stuff. But I think democracy is the best governance system.\u201d<\/p>\n

He added, \u201cWe should stick to democracy, and we must always give ourselves the opportunity to listen to alternative views without injecting violence into the equation.\u201d<\/p>\n

The remarks, light in tone but heavy in implication, came just days after opposition leaders in Tanzania rejected the election results, alleging widespread irregularities, intimidation, and exclusion of key candidates. The main opposition party, CHADEMA, accused the government of using state institutions to stifle dissent and silence independent monitors.<\/p>\n

A sensitive neighborly subject<\/h3>\n

Ruto\u2019s comments, while carefully worded, touched a nerve in a region where leaders have long been accused of manipulating elections to cling to power. By referencing Kenya\u2019s own tightly contested 2022 race \u2014 in which he won with 50.5 percent \u2014 Ruto appeared to draw a contrast between competitive politics and manufactured consensus.<\/p>\n

Diplomats and political analysts say the statement was an attempt to position Kenya as a champion of democratic pluralism, without directly offending Dar es Salaam. \u201cRuto was signaling to the region that credible elections are defined by genuine contestation,\u201d said Nairobi-based political scientist Kamau Otieno. \u201cHe knows Kenya\u2019s democracy is far from perfect, but he\u2019s reminding others that near-unanimous wins are almost always suspect.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Tanzanian government has not officially responded to Ruto\u2019s remarks, though state media have downplayed external commentary, insisting that the polls were \u201cpeaceful and legitimate.\u201d<\/p>\n

A history of troubled elections<\/h3>\n

Tanzania\u2019s ruling party, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), has been in power since independence in 1961, and no opposition candidate has ever come close to unseating it. President Samia\u2019s landslide follows a pattern seen in her predecessor John Magufuli\u2019s 2020 win, when he claimed more than 84 percent of the vote amid similar allegations of fraud.<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s polls were marred by arrests of opposition figures, restrictions on rallies, and what human rights groups described as a \u201cclimate of fear.\u201d The African Union observer mission said the vote \u201cdid not comply with democratic standards,\u201d citing irregularities in tallying and limited transparency. At least 20 people were reportedly killed in post-election protests, according to local human rights organizations.<\/p>\n

Ruto\u2019s balancing act<\/h3>\n

For Ruto, the episode presents both an opportunity and a diplomatic tightrope. Kenya and Tanzania share deep trade ties and cooperate on regional security, but Nairobi has also sought to assert itself as a defender of democratic governance on the continent.<\/p>\n

\u201cRuto was making a broader point about legitimacy and inclusion,\u201d said regional affairs analyst Angela Mabinda. \u201cHe was careful not to attack Tanzania directly, but his audience \u2014 both domestic and foreign \u2014 heard the message.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kenya, often praised for its lively political scene and independent press, has nonetheless faced its own challenges. Ruto\u2019s election was contested by opposition leader Raila Odinga, and his government continues to battle perceptions of shrinking civic space.<\/p>\n

Still, Ruto\u2019s insistence that \u201cyou can never get 96 percent in a democracy\u201d may resonate with reformists across the region. The remark underscores a growing divide in East Africa \u2014 between governments seeking to entrench control and those grappling, however imperfectly, with the unpredictability of free choice.<\/p>\n

Regional reverberations<\/h3>\n

Observers say Ruto\u2019s comment reflects a broader unease about the direction of democracy in Africa. From Uganda\u2019s long-serving President Yoweri Museveni to Rwanda\u2019s Paul Kagame, whose elections routinely exceed 90 percent, overwhelming victories have often raised suspicions of electoral manipulation rather than enthusiasm.<\/p>\n

\u201cTanzania\u2019s numbers are part of a pattern we\u2019ve seen across the continent \u2014 high turnouts, high margins, but low trust,\u201d said political analyst James\u00a0 Wako. \u201cRuto\u2019s statement is less about Tanzania than it is about what kind of Africa he wants to lead.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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