Tanzania’s Presidential Press Unit, as reported by Reuters, shares that President Samia Suluhu Hassan is seen holding a spear and a shield during her swearing-in ceremony in Dodoma, Tanzania, on November 3, 2025. The President was sworn in on Monday following elections that were overshadowed by violence.
In the wake of the unrest, Tanzanian police have lifted a night-time curfew that had been in place since last Wednesday in Dar es Salaam, the main city, as the country gradually returns to normalcy.
The nationwide internet blackout, which followed the unrest, has been lifted, and some shops in Dar es Salaam have reopened, although many remain closed due to severe shortages of essential goods and rising prices. Schools have been closed, and public transport services were suspended.
On Tuesday, while some shops began to open and traffic resumed, long queues were still evident at various petrol stations in Dar es Salaam.
Families are still in search of or are burying their loved ones who lost their lives during the clashes between security forces and opposition supporters, who have labeled the election as fraudulent.
After receiving 98% of the vote in last Wednesday’s election, President Samia Suluhu Hassan was sworn in on Monday.
In a preliminary report, observers from the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) — a regional bloc which includes Tanzania — said the election fell short of democratic standards.
The two main opposition leaders were unable to contest the poll – Luhaga Mpina’s candidacy was rejected on technical grounds, while Tundu Lissu is incarcerated on treason charges, which the latter has vehemently denied.
Internet services are slowly being restored, though social media remains restricted. Police have warned against sharing images from the protests. Lissu’s Chadema party told the the press that it had recorded “no less than 800” deaths by Saturday, while a diplomatic source in Tanzania told the BBC there was credible evidence that at least 500 people had died.
The UN human rights office earlier reported that there were at least 10 deaths in three cities. According to Chadema, its deputy chairman John Heche was picked up from a police station in the capital, Dodoma, on Tuesday morning. The party said Heche’s wife and another party official were told he was being taken to see the regional police commander, but “when they tried to follow them to find out where he was being taken, the vehicles carrying him sped off, leaving them behind”.
His whereabouts remain unknown, and his family and the party are deeply concerned about his safety and current location,” Chadema added in a statement. The police have refused to co-operate.
On Tuesday, a physician at Muhimbili Hospital in Dar es Salaam informed the BBC that vehicles labeled “Municipal Burial Services” had been gathering bodies.
“They are entering the mortuary at night to retrieve the bodies of individuals believed to have perished during the protests; they leave and transport them to an undisclosed location,” stated the physician, who requested anonymity for safety concerns.
“Families are not being provided with the bodies, and survivors are being taken from the emergency department to an unknown location by the police… some even before they have fully recovered,” he continued.
Earlier, a Tanzanian woman known as Mama Kassim shared with the BBC that she had not seen her two sons since the polling day and was unable to contact one of them.
“I have no idea where he is, whether he has been detained, if he is injured, if he is in the hospital, or if he is deceased. Oh God, please protect my son. He is only 21 years old,” she expressed.
A family from Kenya reported that they had requested the government to assist in repatriating the body of a relative, John Okoth Ogutu, a 33-year-old teacher who resided in Dar es Salaam.
He was reportedly shot by police while on his way to purchase food at Gaba Centre in the city.
His elder sister, Celestine Ogutu, told the BBC that he was a caring, diligent individual who disliked arguments and would avoid any confrontation.
“He cherished his family. The last time I spoke with him was on September 22nd when he was wishing me a happy birthday, the only family member who remembered my special day,” she recounted.
The campaign organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) stated that the authorities had reacted to the widespread protests following the elections “with lethal force and other abuses.”
It called on the government “to uphold rights and ensure that all individuals responsible for the violence are investigated and duly prosecuted.”
Amnesty International expressed its concern regarding the excessive force used to quell protests, which resulted in the deaths and injuries of demonstrators.
The government has attempted to minimize the extent of the violence and has accused foreigners of inciting it. While acknowledging the “loss of lives and destruction of public property” during her inauguration ceremony, President Samia said that it was “not surprising” that some of the people detained were foreigners. After President John Magufuli passed away in 2021, Samia became Tanzania’s first female president. Although the political space has since shrunk, she was first commended for reducing political repression under her predecessor.
