A government-appointed commission of inquiry has reported that at least 518 people were killed in violence that broke out during Tanzania’s elections last October, in the first official acknowledgment of the scale of the deadly unrest.
While the report provides the first official casualty figure, its findings have sparked controversy after it placed blame for the violence on protesters, drawing sharp criticism from opposition groups and rights observers who question its independence.
The commission’s conclusion diverges from earlier estimates by the U.N. human rights office, which said hundreds were killed following the exclusion of leading opposition candidates from presidential and parliamentary elections. The main opposition party has said the death toll may be in the thousands.
Tanzanian authorities had previously withheld official figures, saying they were awaiting the commission’s findings after it was appointed by President Samia Suluhu Hassan in November. The government has also consistently denied allegations by human rights organisations that security forces used excessive force.
Speaking during the handover of the report, commission chair Mohamed Chande Othman said the death toll could be an undercount due to difficulties identifying victims. He said the panel did not assign blame to law enforcement and instead recommended a separate criminal investigation body to examine specific incidents.
Chande said the commission had “indisputable evidence” that the violence was organised and funded by “trained people,” but did not identify those involved.
“Organisers used various techniques, including using people without deep understanding and desperate youth, while encouraging simultaneous acts of violence across different locations,” he said.
President Hassan, who was declared winner of the election with nearly 98% of the vote, has said the unrest was an attempt to overthrow her government and alleged foreign involvement, without presenting public evidence.
The commission’s report has not been released in full, with Hassan describing it as “the property of the president,” a move that has intensified concerns over transparency and public accountability.
Opposition party CHADEMA rejected the findings, arguing that a government facing allegations of abuses cannot credibly investigate itself, further deepening mistrust over the inquiry.
The report also references allegations of shootings in homes and commercial areas, including in Mwanza. Reuters investigations previously found that police officers killed more than a dozen unarmed young men at a cafe far from any protest activity, alongside other reported incidents in different cities.
The government has maintained that security forces acted within the law and said many allegations were based on unverified or out-of-context information.
The conflicting narratives have left the country facing renewed scrutiny, with growing calls for an independent probe into one of the most violent election periods in its recent history.
