Everywhere across the country are election posters for the CCM and opposition parties. The whole place has become a giant billboard covered in yellow and green or purple posters.
Mafia Island is no different. A few days after the election I walked to Kilindoni, the main town on the island, to see the market and to explore a little. I saw an open-backed truck with a load of women sporting colourful dresses. I followed them and saw them jump off outside a building.
As I approached I could hear the singing and clapping and then, walking past several lines of soldiers waiting in a small copse, I came to the Mafia Council Office. Here is where all the action was happening.
The women formed themselves into a column and started to sing and dance and sway along the road back towards the town centre. I watched the women sweep past and moved closer to the building. Here there were men milling about, congratulating each other and everyone really happy.
Suddenly I was thrust forward by a man who took my elbow and guided me towards a man who I then realised was the winner. He was the new/old leader of Mafia.
I was encouraged to stand next to him, shake his hand and have my photo taken by press photographers.
I had tried to avoid any contact with anyone related to the elections and had come to Mafia to get away from it but here I was thrust into the centre of local politics.