As the first anniversary of the violence surrounding the October 29, 2025 general election in Tanzania approaches, activists, religious groups and families of those killed continue to demand answers from the government, amid a ban on protests or any remembrance gatherings.
There has been growing pressure to have a national day of remembrance, church-led memorial services and renewed investigations into the violence ahead of Thursday. However, security agencies have not approved these remembrance activities.
The Tanzania Human Rights Defenders Coalition (THRDC) has called on President Samia Suluhu Hassan to designate October 29 as a National Day of Remembrance for the victims and events of October 2025. The coalition’s executive director, Onesmo Ole Ngurumwa, said the proposed commemoration should recognise the suffering of bereaved families, injured people and others affected by the violence, including those who lost property.
“The main purpose of this remembrance is not only to remember the victims, but also to ensure that incidents involving loss of life, serious human rights violations and unlawful use of force never happen again in Tanzania,” he said.
He added that remembrance should provide an opportunity for national reflection, dialogue and efforts to address the underlying causes of the violence.
“There is no future that does not require forgiveness, but there is no genuine forgiveness without truth,” Mr Ngurumwa said.
The commission of inquiry, led by retired Chief Justice Mohamed Chande Othman, reported in April 2026 that more than 518 people died from unusual causes during the unrest, thousands were injured, and others disappeared in unclear circumstances.
Ngurumwa’s push draws on recommendations made by the Chande Commission, which urged the government to set aside a special day for national mourning in honour of those who lost their lives during the unrest.
The director said a formal remembrance day should go beyond ceremonies to promote the preservation of historical records. It should support affected families, assess progress in investigations and strengthen safeguards against future violations.
The organisation also stressed that remembrance must not become a platform for hatred or revenge, but should contribute to reconciliation founded on truth, justice and accountability.
Religious institutions have also proposed to mark the anniversary through prayers and special services.
The Tanzania Episcopal Conference (TEC), through its president Bishop of Lindi Wolfgang Pisa, has directed Catholic parishes, prayer centres and church institutions across the country to hold special Masses on October 29, to pray for and remember those killed, injured, missing or affected by the election-related violence.
In a letter dated October 23, the Catholic bishops called on believers to pray for the country, its leaders, bereaved families and all those still experiencing the effects of the unrest.
The services are also intended to promote peace, truth, justice, love and reconciliation.
The Christian Council of Tanzania (CCT) has separately urged its member churches and congregations nationwide to unite in a national day of prayer. In a statement issued on October 23 and signed by its chairman, the Right Reverend Dr Stanley Hotay, the council called for prayers for families who lost loved ones, for national healing and for the protection of peace.
At the same time, police have warned political leaders, religious figures and activists against what they describe as secret meetings intended to mobilise people for criminal activity.
On October 26, Police Spokesperson David Misime said the force had received information about plans to incite violence, damage public infrastructure and destroy property.
He said police, working with other security agencies, were monitoring the situation and would pursue those suspected of crime.
Opposition party Chadema has announced plans to fly its party flags at half-mast in remembrance of those who died.
Party Secretary-General John Mnyika announced the decision in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday after a meeting of the party’s Central Committee.
Meanwhile, a second presidential commission of inquiry, which is investigating violence and alleged violations of the law during and after the October 2025 general election, said it had completed evidence collection in all districts. Retired Court of Appeal judge Shaban Ally Lila chairs the commission.
Speaking to journalists in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday, Justice Lila said the team had begun examining its data to identify those who planned, financed, coordinated or participated in the violence.
He said the inquiry was moving beyond establishing what happened to examining the responsibility of individuals and groups and the roles they may have played.
The commission has begun interviewing individuals, including Boniface Mwabukusi, president of the Tanganyika Law Society (TLS).
Appointed and inaugurated by President Samia on August 7, 2026, the six-member commission has 150 days to complete its work.
Its mandate includes investigating deaths under unusual circumstances, alleged excessive use of force, unlawful use of firearms, serious injuries, property destruction and reports of missing people.
While the Chande inquiry focused principally on establishing the facts surrounding the violence and breaches of peace, the Lila commission has a specific mandate to identify those responsible and examine their individual or collective roles.
Calls have intensified for the government to ensure that the new inquiry produces answers and that its recommendations translate into concrete action.
For families in northern Tanzania who lost loved ones, the anniversary is not simply a date on the national calendar. It is a painful reminder of lives cut short, unresolved questions and what they describe as the absence of meaningful accountability.
Now, as the country prepares to mark the first anniversary, relatives say remembrance must be accompanied by credible investigations, answers on missing family members and action against those found responsible for the killings.
Living Mtena, whose 19-year-old son was shot dead in the Sanawari area, said the family was still struggling to come to terms with the loss. He said his son was shot by people wearing police uniforms outside his office while he was at work.
“The pain is still unbearable. My son left behind a partner who was five months pregnant. Today, I have been left with a grandchild who is seven months old,” he said.
For Baraka Balthazar, whose 23-year-old brother, David Balthazar, was also shot dead, the lack of closure has compounded the family’s grief. .
“Even finding his body was difficult. We searched extensively before locating him at Mount Meru Hospital, after which we decided to bury him at Njiro,” he said.
Elirehema Mkama, a resident of Ilboru, remains uncertain about the fate of a relative who left home for a painting job on Election Day and never returned. Mkama said repeated efforts to establish his whereabouts had proved unsuccessful.
“We have searched everywhere without success. We even asked for his body, if he had died, so that we could bury him, but we have received no answers. That remains our family’s greatest plea,” she said.
The family appealed to the government to help establish what happened to him and urged investigators to expedite their work so that those found responsible could face the law.
Their accounts illustrate the continuing uncertainty facing some families as the country approaches the anniversary, with demands for remembrance increasingly linked to calls for truth, justice and accountability.
