According to the Constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania (1977), once the Electoral Commission declares a candidate elected President, no court of law has jurisdiction to challenge the election result. This is stipulated under Article 41(7), which provides finality to the presidential election process.
Currently, this means that President-elect Samia Suluhu’s victory cannot be legally contested in Tanzanian courts.
However, this constitutional provision has been challenged internationally. In 2020, the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights ruled that Article 41(7) violates citizens’ rights under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, as it denies access to judicial remedies. The Court ordered Tanzania to amend the provision.
As of now, no constitutional amendment has been formally made, so the legal bar remains in place. This situation highlights a tension between Tanzania’s domestic law and its international human rights obligations.
In short: While the law currently prevents any judicial challenge to the presidential election, reforms may be forthcoming in response to international legal pressure.