By Brian Kiprono - Reporter
Washington D.C., U.S., 25 November 2025 - The United States Senate has called for an immediate and impartial investigation into reports of widespread violence and killings surrounding Tanzania’s 29 October general election, amid mounting international pressure on President Samia Suluhu Hassan.
In a strongly worded statement issued on Tuesday, the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations expressed shock at a CNN investigation alleging that hundreds of people were killed by security forces during and after the polls, with evidence pointing to grave human rights abuses.
“There must be an independent investigation into these tragic acts without delay,” the committee declared on X (formerly Twitter).
It described satellite imagery and forensic evidence of mass graves as indicative of an “unacceptable attempt” by Tanzanian authorities to conceal serious violations.
The committee highlighted the CNN report’s documentation of police firing live ammunition at apparently unarmed protesters in multiple towns, corroborated by witness testimony, satellite imagery, and signs of overwhelmed morgues.
Tanzania has vehemently rejected the allegations, dismissing the CNN findings as an attempt to destabilise the country with the usage of "weaponised narrative".
In response to the growing outcry, President Hassan announced the formation of a domestic commission of inquiry into the post-election unrest.
However, she also claimed that some demonstrators had been paid to protest.
The initiative has been roundly condemned by opposition parties, including Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (CHADEMA), which has branded it lacking in independence and credibility.
Tanzania’s principal opposition has since appealed to the United Nations and the International Criminal Court (ICC) to conduct a separate, fully independent investigation into what it terms state-sponsored “mass killings”.
In a stark reflection of the nation's lingering wounds from recent electoral violence, President Hassan has decreed that Tanzania will forgo its annual Independence Day celebrations this year, reallocating the allocated funds to the urgent task of rebuilding infrastructure ravaged during the unrest surrounding the 29 October polls.
The announcement, delivered amid heightened international scrutiny, underscores the government's prioritisation of recovery over commemoration.
Independence Day, marking the East African nation's liberation from British rule in 1961, typically draws lavish parades, fireworks, and nationwide festivities.
This year's cancellation represents a profound departure from tradition, signalling the depth of the crisis precipitated by post-election demonstrations that spiralled into widespread destruction.
Prime Minister Mwigulu Nchemba who conveyed the president's resolve, urged involved agencies to expedite the financial pivot.
"All the agencies tasked with preparations for the Independence Day budget must quickly forward the budget estimates so that we can process the money and divert it to rebuilding infrastructure damaged during the unrest on 29 October and subsequent days," Mr Nchemba said on Monday.
However, speaking on Tuesday, Nchemba alleged that the protests had been orchestrated as part of a coordinated campaign by certain actors intent on destabilising Tanzania’s economy.
