President William Ruto has urged African nations to embrace democratic tolerance and peaceful dialogue following the tense presidential election in Tanzania that handed President Samia Suluhu Hassan an overwhelming victory.
In an interview with Al Jazeera on Sunday, November 10, Ruto said democracy thrives on diversity of opinion and should never be accompanied by violence or intolerance.
His comments come after reports of unrest and opposition protests that followed the announcement of Suluhu’s re-election with more than 96 percent of the vote.
“It is not for me to judge Tanzania. In a democracy, for example, in Kenya, you can never get 96 percent of the votes,” Ruto said during the interview. “Every country has a way of doing its stuff, but I think democracy is the best governance system.”
Ruto described democracy as a process that requires patience and mutual respect among citizens.
He emphasized that differences in opinion are a healthy part of governance and that leaders should create space for dissenting voices.
“We should stick to democracy, and we must always give ourselves the opportunity to listen to alternative views without injecting violence into the equation,” he added.
The Tanzanian election drew criticism from some opposition figures who alleged irregularities in vote counting and limited transparency.
Regional observers reported that while the polls were largely peaceful, tensions flared in several regions following the announcement of results.
Kenya has often been cited as one of the region’s more competitive democracies, with recent elections demonstrating both the strengths and challenges of maintaining public trust in electoral institutions.