Report unveils magnitude of post-election unrest

DAR ES SALAAM: THE Presidential Commission of Inquiry into the unrest that followed Tanzania’s October 2025 General Election has revealed the widespread scale and impact of the violence, underlining the urgent need for continued national healing, accountability and efforts to strengthen peace and stability.

Presenting the report yesterday at State House, commission chairperson and retired Chief Justice Mohamed Othman Chande said the inquiry documented extensive human suffering, destruction and disruption affecting communities across several parts of the country.

items that are prohibited in both domestic and international law during peaceful demonstrations, as they pose a risk to lives and national security. Furthermore, he said the demonstrations were not preceded by official notification, which is required to be submitted at least 48 hours before any constitutional peaceful demonstration.

He said that a key objective of the protesters was to disrupt the election process, citing incidents such as the burning of polling stations on voting day and reported cases of violence against some voters. However, he noted that some protesters, particularly youth, were motivated by a desire to voice concerns to the government over various challenges, including unemployment.

Justice Chande further said others were driven by opportunistic intentions, including theft, with video evidence submitted by victims showing their property being looted from shops. He added that the violent protests were influenced by some politicians and activists who allegedly manipulated participants by amplifying everyday grievances such as concerns over taxation.

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As a result, he said the organisers, including some content creators, actively used social media to spread messages, which promoted chaos.

“Some protesters confessed during the inquiry that they were given phones and assigned to capture photos and video clips for social media platforms, including through live streaming,” he said.

He further noted that some political slogans were misused by the protesters, including “No Reform, No Election,” “October Tunatiki,” and “Samia Must Go. The Chief Justice (rtd) added that internal disputes during party primaries and electoral nominations led some defeated candidates to resort to protests, including recruiting participants.

He further explained that the evidence gathered by the Commission revealed the existence of residential premises used as camps to harbour and train youths for violent activities, pointing to gaps in intelligence and security systems.

The Commission began its 90-day mandate on November 20 last year, but due, among other factors, to the large volume of evidence received, the deadline was extended by 42 days and later by an additional 21 days, bringing the total duration of the investigation to 153 days.