Tanzanian Families Still Searching for Loved Ones Months After Election Unrest

Kanya, January 28, 2026 - Three months after violent protests erupted around Tanzania’s October 29, 2025 presidential election, hundreds of families remain unable to locate the bodies of relatives killed during the unrest, grieving in silence and demanding answers as official casualty figures remain undisclosed.

The unresolved fate of missing people reflects enduring pain and suspicion over how authorities handled the aftermath of the crackdowns.

Among those affected is Manenos Selanyika, a 40-year-old journalist who was reportedly shot by security forces on October 30 while out for food in Dar es Salaam’s Mbezi Africana area.

His family, like many others, was denied access to retrieve his body from the scene, and repeated searches through local hospitals yielded no results. After weeks of fruitless efforts, they held a symbolic burial with a marked grave near Mount Kilimanjaro, because they were unable to find his remains.

Families say they’ve scoured police stations, hospitals and morgues across major cities, only to be blocked at every turn or told to return later without explanation.

Many believe that security forces removed bodies from morgues and buried them in unmarked or mass graves, a charge supported by independent investigations that identified possible burial sites using satellite imagery and user-generated content, despite official denials.

The protests were triggered by the banning of leading opposition candidates and an election that saw incumbent President Samia Suluhu Hassan declared the winner with about 98 % of the vote.

The opposition and human rights groups say the period was marked by killings, abductions and a five-day internet blackout, during which security forces allegedly used live ammunition and force to deter demonstrators.

Estimates from political actors and civil society suggest that thousands may have been killed, although the government has not released an official death toll.