Justice Chande:We held face to face meetings with over 6000 people

DAR ES SALAAM: TANZANIA’s Commission of Inquiry into violence linked to the October 29 General Elections said today,April 28, 2026,that it collected hundreds of sworn statements and interviewed more than 6,000 people during its investigations into the unrest.

Speaking to editors and journalists in Dar es Salaam, Mohamed Othman Chande said the commission received 953 sworn statements from members of the public and 26 from police officers.

“We had not expected to receive evidence from the police. The bulk of the evidence came from victims and others affected by the violence,” Chande said.

He said the commission also carried out face-to-face engagements with 6,205 individuals during its work, which lasted 153 days.

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“It is uncommon for any commission globally to engage such a large number of people within 153 days,” Chande said. “On average, we interviewed and heard from about 40 witnesses per day.”

The commission was established to investigate violence that erupted during and after Tanzania’s October 29, 2025 general election, an episode that intensified debate over political freedoms, accountability and public security in the East African nation.

Chande said the inquiry relied heavily on testimonies from victims and people directly affected by the unrest as it sought to establish the causes of the violence, identify those involved and assess the social, human and economic impact of the events.

The commission’s findings and recommendations have drawn widespread public attention since the report was submitted to President Samia Suluhu Hassan.