Tanzania’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced on Monday, May 12, 2025, the creation of eight new constituencies and the renaming of twelve existing ones, bringing the total number of constituencies for the upcoming general election to 272.
The process began on February 27 and concluded on March 26, 2025. During this period, INEC reported receiving 34 applications for the division of electoral constituencies and 10 applications for constituency name changes. Following consultations with stakeholders, INEC made its decisions based on several key factors: the capacity of Parliament, the number of special seat members, the need to ensure that a single constituency is not represented in two different councils, and population thresholds, at least 900,000 people for urban constituencies and 400,000 for rural ones.
The newly established constituencies are:
- Kivule (Dar es Salaam)
- Chamazi (Dar es Salaam)
- Uyole (Mbeya)
- Mtumba (Dodoma)
- Bariadi Mjini (Simiyu)
- Katoro (Geita)
- Chato Kusini (Geita)
- Itwangi (Shinyanga)
The renamed constituencies are as follows:
- Nkenge is now Missenyi
- Mpanda becomes Tanganyika Rural
- Buyungu is renamed Kakonko
- Chato becomes Chato North
- Bariadi is now Bariadi Rural
- Manyoni East becomes Manyoni
- Singida North is renamed Ilongero
- Manyoni West becomes Itigi
- Singida East becomes Ikungi East
- Singida West is also renamed Ikungi West
- Tabora North becomes Uyui
- Handeni Rural is now Handeni
This development comes as INEC maintains that the main opposition party, CHADEMA, is barred from participating in the upcoming election. According to INEC, the party’s failure to sign the electoral code of conduct is grounds for disqualification, barring it from contesting in elections for the next five years.
