By Francis Kajubi
The 97.66 percent landslide victory by President Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan is attributed to her dedicated efforts towards the realization of people's welfare.
When President Dr Samia was sworn-in to assume the top office for the first term on the 19th of March 2021, annual gross domestic product (GDP) for Mainland Tanzania growth stood at four percent, down from the preceding seven percent due to eruption of the Covid-19 pandemic.
With additional economic shocks attributed to the Rassia - Ukraine war, her regime's decisive economic policies steadily stimulated the growth to 5.4 percent in the first quarter of 2025 winning voters' hearts and trust towards the 2025 General Election.
Growth of more than six percent is expected in the second and third quarters of 2025 as per the Bank of Tanzania (BoT) reports.
Increased export earnings from traditional goods, tourism and gold continued to narrow the current account deficit to 2.4 percent of GDP in the year ending September 2025 down from 3.8 percent in the corresponding period of 2024, thanks to Dr Samia's economic visionary strategies such as the Tanzania Royal Tour which has incredibly attracted a surge in the number of tourists destined to various attractions of Tanzania.
Tourism earnings rose from 1.3 billion US dollars in 2021 to 4 billion US dollars currently, with over 1.5 million Tanzanians employed in tourism-related activities.
The Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) surpassed its revenue collection targets for every month of the 2024/25 financial year, collecting 32.26trn/- against a target of approximately 31trn/-, a 16.7 percent increase from the previous financial year.
However, for the first quarter of the 2025/26 financial year, TRA collected 8.97trn/-, exceeding its 8.44trn/- target, a result of conducive business-doing environment created by her leadership.
In addition, improved diplomatic engagements she pioneered under the 4R philosophy has boosted trade volumes, which doubled from 17 billion US dollars to 34 billion US dollars for the period covering between 2021 and 2025.
Shortly after she was sworn-in, on the 1st of May 2021, she directed the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology to abolish the 10 percent penalty and a six percent value retention fee previously applied by the Higher Education Students' Loans Board (HESLB) for delayed loan repayments.
This measure aimed to ease the burden on beneficiaries with accrued interest rates and encourage timely repayment.
CITIZEN-INCLUSIVE ECONOMIC INTERVENTIONS
With the agriculture sector having employed an estimated 65 percent of Tanzania's population estimated at 68 million as of July this year, immediately after she was sworn in, her government raised the agriculture budget from around 200bn/- to over 700bn/ in 2021/22 to over a trillion in 2025/26.
Dr Samia's regime initiated decisive approaches to enhance the Tanzania Agricultural Development Bank (TADB) operation muscles so as it reaches farmers/peasants, fishers and livestock keepers/ pastoralists with interest-free loans.
Dr Samia started off with the allocation of 60bn/- in March 2021 followed by additional 208bn/- from the Treasury in October of the same year as per TADB's reports.
In 2022, the bank was allocated with 210bn/- as well as 25bn/- in 2023 and 170bn/- in 2024.
These investments have significantly impacted the agriculture, fisheries and livestock sectors with estimated 151,000 direct idividual beneficiaries.
These funds have further supported the purchase of 156 modern fishing boats equipped with fish finders and freezers for lakes and the ocean.
The boats have been allocated to 3,213 fishers groups of which 1,099 are women-led groups.
Moreover, through the Smallholders Credit Guarantee Scheme (SCGS) 475 Cooperative Unions have benefited from the interest-free loans.
Loans extended by SCGS through 19 contracted financial institutions resulted in a decrease in interest rates for loans extended to the agriculture sector, dropping from 20 percent in 2021 to an average of nine percent in 2025.
To this end, loans in the agriculture sector account for 11 percent of total loans issued by financial institutions, up from seven percent in 2021.
The above mentioned people-centred development initiatives by Dr Samia's leadership resonates with Article 8(1) (b) of the Constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania 1977 which highlights the primary responsibility of the government as being to safeguard the people's welfare.
Through the Tanzania Fertilizer Regulatory Authority (TFRA) Dr Samia's regime has remitted billions in subsidising fertilisers nationwide.
For instance, last season in Rukwa region, subsidised fertiliser distribution of more than 400,000 tons priced at over 140bn/- reached farmers.
Dr Samia issued 5bn/- in support of the establishment of the Cooperatives Bank of Tanzania which is designed to extend loans at low interest rates for farmers within the unions.
The bank has been initiated in line of her vision of reviving Cooperatives productivity.
During her leadership, irrigated agriculture land expanded from 500,000 hectares in 2021 to 980,000 hectares in 2025.
WORKERS' WELFARE
Tanzania is poised at achieving a trillion-dollar economy by 2050 as stipulated in the DIRA 2050.
Achieving this milestone requires adaptive roles from both government and citizens in realization of people's welfare.
Apart from raising public workers' minimum wage on the 1st of May 2025, on the 17th of October 2025 her government raised minimum wage for the private sector employees to 358,322/- from the previous 275,060/-, a 33.4 percent increase.
The new wage rate which will come into effect on the 1st of January 2026 will benefit Tanzanians employed in the economic sectors of mining, trade and industry, private security, private schools, agriculture, marine services, health; and communication among others.
PULLING IN VOTES FROM LOW-INCOME EARNERS
The integration of the Tanzania Social Action Fund (TASAF) and the Higher Education Students' Loans Board (HESLB) systems has empowered students from underprivileged families to access full loans.
Before March 2021 when she assumed the state house, there were fewer than 1,000 beneficiaries.
However, between the 2020/21 and 2024/25 financial years, a total of 11,524 students from poor families identified by the Fund have received full loans for higher education.
On the other hand, 2.5 million vulnerable children from low-income families now receive financial assistance for school fees, uniforms and essential learning materials to complement the free education policy.
These beneficiary families most of which residing in rural Tanzania were most likely to vote in favour of Dr Samia - a reflection of the massive crowds she attracted on her campaign rarries.
VIABLE STRATEGIC ECONOMIC PROJECTS
The Dar to Dodoma SGR train which transport up to 10,000 people a day, has made Dr Samia come in fine colors in the eyes of her political rivals.
Fast completion of the Julius Nyerere Hydro Power Project, the Mwanza - Busisi Bridge, REA and BBT projects to mention a few, have directly impacted citizens' daily income generation activities - a true definition of the so-called people's welfare.
Her commitments to Climate Change-related projects, Investments in Air Tanzania, new developments on ports, waiver on nuisance taxes and levies played a significant role of attracting votes from the business community.
CONCERNED ABOUT THE PUBLIC INTEREST
Think of the 'Goli la Mama' in relation to excitement and leisure it brings Young African Sports Club fans and Simba Sports Club fans, not to talk about other football clubs in the NBC Premier League.
No former President dared to dish out 5mn/- per score. The Goli la Mama is beyond socializing with football fans. Sports attract love from the public for those who show concern, Dr Samia did it!
Soccer in particular attract togetherness of people from different backgrounds to reason, behave and act in a common way towards national matters such as the General Election.
In that case, the Goli la Mama and ongoing stadiums construction projects must have attracted voters to vote in her favour for the motive and courage she had portrayed in transforming the sports sector.
WHAT VOTERS DESIRED FROM PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES
Dr Samia tabled strong logical promises for voters' decision-making of whom they wanted to become their President for the next five years.
Addressing a vast crowd at Kawe grounds in Dar es Salaam at the opening of CCM's 2025 campaigns, she pledged to provide free full coverage under the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) scheme for patients suffering from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) including cancer, kidney failure, diabetes, heart disease and neurological disorders such as epilepsy.
Along the two-month campaign, Dr Samia pledged in line with CCM's 2025-2030 Manifesto to restore Tanzania's pre-pandemic economy growth of seven percent by 2026.
She pledged a 10bn/- funding for struggling start-ups to thrive in the growing competitive market of the digitized economy.
Industrialization drive, protection of peace and infrastructure development pledges have beyond doubt made Tanzanians vote in favour of Dr Samia.
A WAY FORWARD
In line with repeatedly constitutional amendments and electoral reform demands by the opposition which are absolutely logical, Dr Samia's landslide victory is a bold message to the opposition that there's a lot to do to successfully win the public trust.
As Tanzania marks 33 years of multiparty democracy, the opposition still have the opportunity to learn and practice true democracy staring with it's internal elections - a key component in winning the public trust for a serious political party seeking power from the people.
in my opinion, President Samia's 4R philosophy is the best remedy on the way forward if political clashes are to be addressed peacefully.
The General Election for 2025 is over. Let's heal the wounds, work on chronic electoral weaknesses, retain our peaceful image and go build our nation with unit as always!
Francis Kajubi is a Business, Economy and Finance Journalist.
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