DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania
The President of Tanzania, Samia Hassan, on Friday August 7 launched a Presidential Commission of Inquiry to investigate individuals involved in acts of violence and violations of the law during and after the October 2025 General Election that left over 500 people dead.
The commission is the second to be established following the first inquiry commission, which was formed to investigate the causes and effects of the incidents that occurred during and after the general election.
The first Commission submitted its report to the President on 23 April 2026. The report indicated that 518 people were killed, more than 2,000 others were injured, and property worth approximately 125 billion Tanzanian shillings was destroyed.
The commission also recommended the establishment of another inquiry body to investigate those responsible for the killings and acts of violence and violations of the law during the October 2025 unrest.
The newly launched Presidential Commission will focus on specific incidents highlighted in the first Commission’s report that have not been put public. It consists of six members, including four members from Tanzania, one from Namibia, and one from Uganda.
The commission will be chaired by Justice Shabani Ally Lila and is expected to complete its work within 150 days, which is approximately five months.
A series of demonstrations and civil unrest began in Tanzania on 29 October 2025 amid the country's 2025 general election.
The protests erupted in the commercial city of Dar es Salaam and later spread to other cities, following allegations of electoral irregularities, suppression of opposition parties, and police intimidation.
Security forces responded with gunfire, tear gas, and curfews, as well as targeted killings, prompting international concern and travel warnings from several foreign governments.
Western diplomats and rights groups accuse Hassan's government of massacring hundreds of people during the election unrest, as well as abducting and murdering critics in the run-up to the vote.
Opposition and religious groups say thousands were killed by security forces, while Western diplomats have given estimates of between 1,000 and 2,000.
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