Samia: My election promise to Tanzanians

Dar es Salaam. Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) presidential candidate, Samia Suluhu Hassan, yesterday promised to deliver a new chapter of hope for Tanzanians within the first 100 days of her administration, should she win the 2025 General Election.

Launching CCM’s campaigns in Dar es Salaam, President Hassan said her leadership would prioritise the implementation of the National Development Vision 2050, with a strong focus on healthcare, education and economic empowerment.

She announced that her government would roll out a pilot phase of Universal Health Insurance, starting with children, the elderly, expectant mothers and people with disabilities. Their treatment costs, she said, would be fully covered by the National Health Insurance Fund.

“Within the same 100 days, we will also finance specialised medical treatment and diagnostic services for underprivileged citizens suffering from non-communicable diseases such as cancer, kidney failure, heart conditions, orthopaedic complications and neurological disorders,” she said.

To strengthen service delivery, the government will employ 5,000 health workers, including nurses and midwives, with the aim of improving maternal and child health.

President Hassan pledged to outlaw the practice of hospitals withholding bodies of deceased patients due to unpaid medical bills. “We will introduce an alternative system to ensure families settle outstanding costs, but no hospital will deny relatives the right to collect the body of their loved ones,” she said.

On education, she said her government would ensure that every Standard Three pupil can read, write and count without difficulty. To achieve this, 7,000 new mathematics and science teachers will be recruited within the first 100 days.

She also unveiled plans to establish a collaborative programme between employers, vocational training institutions and universities to align skills training with the needs of priority sectors such as energy, ICT and value addition industries. “This will ensure that Vocational training graduates can transition seamlessly into industries for practical training,” she explained.

President Hassan said her administration would allocate Sh200 billion to support loans for SMEs and startups, while formalising the informal sector, including food vendors, bodaboda riders, bajaji operators and other small-scale entrepreneurs, enabling them to benefit from formal structures.

She reaffirmed that her campaign commitments are anchored in lifting the lives of ordinary citizens and ensuring inclusive growth.

President Hassan further outlined that her administration would focus on reviving the process of drafting a new constitution by establishing a special commission to oversee the initiative, signalling a renewed commitment to legal and institutional reforms.

“We will establish a special commission to oversee the process of drafting a new constitution. This is part of our commitment to strengthen and reform our legal and institutional systems,” she said.

She also detailed additional economic empowerment measures, including the creation of a Sh6.2 billion fund to support farmers, enabling them to access credit, inputs and better markets.

A youth employment initiative was also announced to connect graduates with opportunities in both public and private sectors.

Beyond that, President Hassan used the stage to highlight the achievements of the Sixth Phase Government over the past years, citing improvements in public resource management, anti-corruption efforts and economic growth. Tanzania’s position in anti-corruption indicators improved from 87 in 2021 to 82 in 2022.

Despite international challenges such as the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war, she said Tanzania remained economically resilient. Per capital GDP rose from $1,104 in 2021 to $1,252 in 2024, President Hassan said.

Domestic revenue collection rose 104 percent during the period, reaching Sh3 trillion in 2025 per month from Sh1.5 trillion in 2021.

Foreign and gold reserves rose to $7.1 billion in 2025, from $4.8 billion in 2021.

GDP also rose from Sh156.4 trillion in 2021 to Sh205.84 trillion in 2021 while the government’s budget rose Sh34.9 trillion in 2021 to Sh56.49 trillion for the current financial year.

She said while the global debt to GDP ratio stood at 93 percent in 2024, in Africa, the same stood at 67 percent.

Similarly, the ratio of debt to GDP of East African countries stood at 67 percent but on the contrary, Tanzania emerged as the odd one out as its ratio was only 46 percent.

In mining, small-scale miners benefited from new policies and strategies, with production doubling and the number of processing factories rising from two in 2020 to nine.

Tourism rebounded strongly, increasing from 1.3 million visitors in 2020 to more than 5.3 million in 2023, boosting national revenue.

In agriculture, the ministry’s budget quadrupled, with government investments in irrigation and fertiliser subsidies significantly improving availability and productivity.

“Fellow citizens, let us continue to work together in true unity and solidarity. The victory of CCM is the victory of all Tanzanians. After the victory, our work will be one – to implement the CCM manifesto efficiently,” she said.

President Hassan’s speech came after several other ruling party leaders and former national leaders spoke.

Among them was Retired President Jakaya Kikwete, who dismissed claims that party procedures were violated in CCM’s endorsement of President Hassan as its presidential candidate for the 2025 general election.

Instead, Mr Kikwete praised President Hassan’s leadership, vision and accomplishments since assuming office on March 19, 2021, following the death in office of her predecessor, John Magufuli.

He said some of the criticism circulating within and outside the party stems from a lack of understanding of CCM’s established procedures.

“I’m aware of claims suggesting that procedures were not followed and I was criticised for my comments at the party congress. Those making such statements either do not understand our party’s rules or have forgotten them,” he said, referring to reactions following a January 2025 resolution by the CCM National Congress endorsing President Hassan for the Union and President Hussein Ali Hassan Mwinyi for Zanzibar.

The resolution, unanimously approved by all delegates, came after strong recommendations from Mr Kikwete, who served as Tanzania’s head of state from 2005 to 2015. The decision followed widespread support from delegates at the CCM National Congress held in Dodoma.

Mr Kikwete said on Thursday that CCM has a clear tradition: a sitting president completing their first term and seeking a second is granted the opportunity to continue. “This applied to Presidents Mkapa, Kikwete and Magufuli. Why should Samia’s case be treated differently? Some critics today were present during previous transitions,” he said.

Mr Kikwete highlighted President Hassan’s rise in March 2021 under unprecedented circumstances following President John Pombe Magufuli’s sudden death. “It was the first time in our nation’s history that such a transition occurred. Many doubted whether she could lead, yet she has demonstrated courage, competence and adherence to the Constitution. She has proven that the presidency has no gender,” he said.

He praised her management of large-scale projects inherited from Magufuli, including the 2,115MW Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project, the construction of the Government Headquarters in Dodoma and the Standard Gauge Railway. Despite fears that these projects might overwhelm her administration, she has successfully advanced them, ensuring continuity and progress.

Mr Kikwete also lauded her innovative approach during the Covidi-19 pandemic, noting that while many African countries focused financial support primarily on businesses, President Hassan ensured that funds reached all Tanzanians through improved social services, healthcare, classroom construction and measures to reduce congestion in schools.

Other achievements he highlighted include education reforms guaranteeing a continuous learning pathway from primary school through Form 4, improved access to clean water for women, a more business-friendly tax system, strengthened national unity, enhanced interfaith relations, youth employment initiatives, tourism promotion and the successful implementation of the 2025–2050 Development Vision.

He also drew attention to her financial prudence and innovative programmes, including measures that ensured Covid-19 relief funds benefited ordinary citizens rather than only companies. This approach, he noted, contributed to social stability and development during challenging times.

Mr Kikwete said these accomplishments explain why President Hassan secured unanimous support at the January 2025 party congress. “She has shown courage, vision and innovation. She deserves a second term to complete the work she has begun,” he said.