Dar es Salaam – The government has officially launched a new six-member Presidential Commission of Inquiry tasked with conducting a deep criminal investigation into the violence that surrounded the October 2025 general election.
Unlike the previous fact-finding inquiry, this new panel includes judicial figures from other African nations and has a specific mandate to identify perpetrators for prosecution.
The commission was inaugurated at State House in Dar es Salaam on Friday, August 7, following recommendations from the initial inquiry led by retired Chief Justice Mohamed Chande Othman.
That earlier body, which concluded its 153-day investigation in April 2026, found that approximately 518 people were killed during the unrest but deferred criminal identification to a specialised body.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan officially launched the new commission, stating that it will delve deeper to determine exactly who instigated, who was involved, and who provided funds for the violence.
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“We decided to include our colleagues [from the region] in order to obtain a broader perspective,” President Samia said during the launch ceremony. “This commission will delve deeper to find out exactly who instigated, who was involved, and who provided funds for those things to happen in our country.”
Differentiated mandate
The primary mandate of this new body is fundamentally different from the Chande Commission. While the Chande Commission focused on broad fact-finding to establish the systemic causes, political triggers, and overall social impact of the violence, the Lila Commission is specifically tasked with individual criminal accountability.
During his April presentation, Justice Chande revealed that his commission had identified areas with “criminal indicators requiring accountability.”
His report identified multiple sources of the conflict, including political grievances, economic hardship, and the use of social media to organize what the state characterised as “illegal riots” rather than peaceful protests. However, it stopped short of naming specific perpetrators.
The new commission will bridge this gap. According to Chief Secretary Ambassador Dr Moses Kusiluka, the Lila commission will conduct “a more in-depth investigation into specific matters identified by Justice Othman’s commission and other new matters as they may arise.”
This includes investigating specific criminal acts such as looting, the deaths of children, and claims of missing bodies and abductions. The Chande report had previously noted that according to police statistics, 245 people remained missing out of 758 reported disappearances between 2023 and 2025.
Composition
The new commission is chaired by Justice Shaban Ali Lila, a retired Justice of the Court of Appeal of Tanzania. He is joined by three other retired Tanzanian High Court justices: Justice Gad John Mjemmas, Justice Awadh Mohamed Bawazir, and Justice Aishieli Nelson Sumari.
In a significant departure from typical domestic inquiries, the panel includes two senior judicial figures from other African nations.
Justice Petrus Tilainge Damaseb, Deputy Chief Justice of the High Court of Namibia, brings extensive regional experience, having also served in the appellate courts of Lesotho and Botswana.
Justice Barishaki Cheborioni of the Court of Appeal of Uganda joins the panel with a background in leading sensitive inquiries, including investigations into human rights violations and the burning of the Kasubi Tombs in his home country.
The commission is supported by a six-person secretariat led by Paul Kadushi.
Timeline and operations
The commission has been given 150 days, approximately five months, to complete its work and submit an official report. However, President Samia indicated that an extension would be considered if requested to ensure a comprehensive investigation.
“I recognise the weight of this responsibility, but to begin with, the commission has been given five months to carry out its work and submit an official report,” President Samia stated. “If there is a request for an extension of time, we will consider it later to extend the time so they can carry out their work more comprehensively.”
The commission is expected to utilise the extensive groundwork laid by the Chande Commission, which involved face-to-face interviews with 1,323 victims, written affidavits from 953 individuals, and the scientific examination of hundreds of images and videos using forensic and geographic information system analysis.
The formation of this second commission occurs against a backdrop of deep public skepticism. When the initial announcement of the criminal commission was made in May 2026, it drew sharp criticism from civil society organisations and opposition leaders.
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A coalition of 14 civil society organisations previously blasted the Chande report for failing to identify perpetrators despite collecting sworn testimonies from over 1,300 victims.
They questioned why a commission with the authority to investigate criminal matters deferred that responsibility, suggesting the approach appeared designed to avoid real accountability.
Eminent national figures, including former Prime Minister Joseph Sinde Warioba, have also expressed confusion over the government’s decision to keep the full Chande report confidential, noting that previous significant inquiries had their findings made fully public to facilitate national healing.
Addressing the nation during the launch, President Samia urged citizens to cooperate with the new investigators.
“I strongly urge all Tanzanians to provide the necessary cooperation to the commission in carrying out their duties,” she said. “I strongly urge Tanzanians to help this commission do its work and not to disturb it in carrying out its work.”
