Dar es Salaam– On November 14, 2025, the family of Daines Raphael Sisa (28) held a funeral ceremony using only her photograph after failing to retrieve her body.
Daines was confirmed dead based on multiple witnesses who provided an accurate description of her appearance and the events leading up to her death. She was shot on the morning of October 29, 2025, and did not survive the chest wound. In a story published by The Chanzo on November 22, 2025, the family shared a detailed explanation of why they proceeded with the funeral ceremony despite having no video or photo evidence, unlike some other families who faced similar situations.
On the night of November 22, 2025, Daines former employer, Esha Buheti, received information that Daines, who had been shot dead at Tabata Shule, might be at Kivule Hospital, about 21 kilometres from where she died. Buheti, a well-known celebrity, was the one who received the first witness testimony confirming that Daines had died, after she posted on her social media pages looking for her. This made her the main point of contact online.
READ: Funerals Without a Body: A New Kind of Grief in Tanzania Following October 29 Unrest
The family confirmed that they had retrieved the body of Dainess from Kivule hospital on Monday, and another funeral ceremony was planned. Unlike the first funeral service, the funeral mass on Wednesday, November 26, 2025, attracted a large attendance, with most seats at the Yohana 23 parish, in Kibo-Dar es Salaam, filled. At the front was a brown casket with the same photograph that was used in the first funeral placed on top. Daines’ brother, who introduced himself as Peter, delivered remarks on behalf of the family.
“Honestly, we are very saddened, but we are also very happy because we know we have seen Daines again,” Daines brother told mourners, breaking down in tears and pausing briefly before continuing.
“We had reached the end and thought we would never see Dainess again, which is why we held a farewell service for her. But we thank God that you have received another service. For us, it is joy; we had already thought that this had come to an end.”
Many mourners said they lacked closure after the first funeral, which relied only on photographs. “I thought that was a fake funeral, fake picture”, one mourner cried, explaining how she had comforted herself by believing Daines was hiding somewhere.
Her former employer, Esha Buheti, said that on the night of the first funeral she could not sleep, and just before dawn a butterfly entered her home. She took it as a sign that “Daines is somewhere.”
Dainess’ funeral was held at Gide’s burial ground in Ubungo-Kibo, Dar es Salaam. As the procession passed along the road, mourners walked near Kibo Police Station, where the shells of burnt vehicles still remain, stark reminders of a political crisis that turned into a human tragedy. Many families continue to struggle with grief, especially those who cannot find the bodies of their loved ones.
Daines’ family is one of many who have had to conduct burials without bodies following the killings during the election-day protests and the subsequent security crackdown.
For example, the body of David Julius, a resident of Igoma, appeared in a circulated video lying dead, but was never recovered. His family conducted burial rites on November 19, 2025, using his photo. Similarly, the family of Michael Antony Mnakai, a resident of Kigogo in Dar es Salaam, was informed he was shot in the stomach and taken to a hospital—yet his body has never been found.
In many cases, families had to rely on videos, witness accounts, or personal belongings of the deceased. This happened in the case of Allen Humphrey Isanja, a teenager from Arusha who went missing on October 30. His shoes were found at a mortuary, prompting his family to proceed with burial rites after failing to locate his body.
During a meeting between Prime Minister Mwigulu Nchemba and journalists on November 25, 2025, one journalist asked about the fate of the missing bodies—including that of a journalist whose clothes were buried in place of his body. The question went unanswered.
