Tanzanian Officials Must Declare 2025 Candidacy in Advance

President Samia Urges Early Declaration for Election Aspirants

Dodoma, Tanzania – March 12, 2025

President Samia Suluhu Hassan has issued a firm directive to government officials eyeing candidacy in the upcoming October 2025 General Election, emphasizing the need for early declaration of their intentions to prevent administrative disruptions in local governance.

Speaking at the 39th Annual General Meeting of the Association of Local Authorities of Tanzania (ALAT) in Dodoma on March 11, President Hassan underscored the importance of a smooth transition within local government structures. She specifically addressed district commissioners (DCs), district executive directors (DEDs), and other public servants, urging them to formally notify the government well in advance if they plan to run for office.

Avoiding Leadership Gaps

The president made it clear that failure to provide timely notice would have severe consequences.

“There are some district executive directors and district commissioners eager to return to the people. I have instructed the Chief Secretary to issue guidelines to local governments, and I trust the minister (Mohamed Mchengerwa – Regional Administration and Local Government) has received them. Anyone intending to contest must notify us early,” President Hassan stated.

She stressed that early notifications would allow the government to initiate a structured replacement process, ensuring continuity in administrative functions. By promoting qualified individuals from lower levels, the government can prevent vacancies that could hinder service delivery.

Consequences for Late Notification

President Hassan warned that those who fail to comply with this directive would not only be disqualified from the nomination process but would also lose their current positions.

“If we receive timely notifications, we can prepare successors by providing the necessary training and guidelines for those stepping into leadership roles,” she said.

“But if you delay and only come forward when nomination forms are being collected, you will be disqualified, and you won’t return to your position,” she cautioned.

She also encouraged officials to thoroughly evaluate their readiness before making the decision to contest.

“I don’t want to hide anything from you. We need competent people in the field. To those wishing to seek the mandate, I wish you all the best,” she remarked.

A Policy Rooted in Precedent

President Hassan’s stance aligns with a similar warning issued in 2019 by the late President John Magufuli, who criticized regional commissioners, DCs, and DEDs for secretly maneuvering for parliamentary seats, describing it as an act of self-interest.

“Those preparing to run in the next election can proceed, but I want to remind you that you cannot have it all. There are 53 million Tanzanians,” Magufuli had stated at the time.

Reforming Local Government Structures

President Hassan also highlighted the government's ongoing efforts to reform local government structures over the past three years. She reiterated that these reforms were not driven by personal motives but were designed to ensure that qualified and committed officials remained in place to support the country’s development goals.

As part of these reforms, numerous appointments and dismissals have taken place, particularly at district, city, and municipal levels, to improve efficiency and service delivery.

She reminded officials of her administration’s firm stance against inefficiency and corruption, recalling her 2021 directive advocating for greater adoption of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to enhance governance.

“We have been restructuring to eliminate corruption and inefficiency. So far, we have filtered out 85 percent of the unfit officials, and the process continues,” she said.

With this latest directive, President Hassan is ensuring that government operations remain uninterrupted, while also setting a clear precedent for transparency and accountability ahead of the 2025 General Election.