Dar es Salaam – President Samia Suluhu Hassan has officially formed a special criminal investigation commission to identify and prosecute those responsible for the deadly violence that followed the October 29, 2025, general election.
The appointment of the three-member panel was announced in a public notice issued by Chief Secretary Moses M. Kusiluka on May 18, 2026. The commission will be chaired by Justice Shabani Ally Lila of the Court of Appeal.
He will be joined by three retired High Court judges, Justice Gad John Mjemmas, Justice Aishieli Nelson Sumari, and Justice Awadh Mohamed Bawazir, serving as commissioners. The formation of this body directly implements a key recommendation from the initial presidential inquiry led by retired Chief Justice Mohamed Chande Othman.
When presenting his findings on April 23, 2026, Chairman Chande revealed that his commission had identified areas with “criminal indicators requiring accountability.” He recommended the formation of a specific criminal investigation body under the Commissions of Inquiry Act.
According to Chande, this new commission’s mandate is to investigate specific matters, including identifying the main perpetrators of the violence. It is also tasked with clarifying the confusing circumstances surrounding deaths and injuries, locating missing corpses, and recommending concrete accountability steps.
President Samia immediately endorsed this recommendation during her address upon receiving the report. She promised that the new body would determine those involved in planning, coordinating, and financing the violence.
“That body will look at the issues identified and determine those involved in planning, coordinating, and financing the events of violence or disorder,” President Samia stated. She added that the investigation would also focus on criminal acts such as looting, the deaths of children, and claims of missing bodies and abductions.
Criticim
However, the decision to form yet another commission has drawn sharp criticism from civil society and eminent national figures. A coalition of 14 civil society organisations blasted the Chande report for failing to identify perpetrators itself, despite collecting sworn testimonies.
The coalition argued that deferring criminal prosecution to a separate body represents an abdication of responsibility. “If the commission had authority to investigate criminal matters—and it did—why defer this responsibility?” the groups questioned in their joint analysis of April 27, 2026.
They suggested this approach appeared designed to avoid rather than achieve accountability. The civil society groups also highlighted the commission’s failure to address the disappearance of 39 bodies from health facilities and allegations of foreign recruitment.
Eminent Tanzanians have echoed these concerns about transparency and accountability. Former Prime Minister Joseph Sinde Warioba expressed confusion over the government’s decision to keep the full Chande report confidential, noting it broke with national tradition.
In a recent interview, Warioba recalled that previous significant inquiries, such as the Nyalali Commission and his own corruption commission, had their reports made fully public. He emphasised that citizens need to know what the commission discovered to facilitate genuine national healing.
At a crossroads
Opposition leaders have been even more scathing in their assessment of the government’s response. ACT Wazalendo national chairperson Othman Masoud Othman recently declared the country was at a crossroads, blaming security forces for the election crisis.
During a symposium on May 16, 2026, legal experts and intellectuals warned that the country is slipping into instability. They demanded genuine accountability for the election killings, rather than what they perceive as administrative delays through endless commissions.
As the new criminal investigation commission begins its work, it faces a deeply sceptical public. Whether this judicial panel can deliver the accountability demanded by victims’ families, civil society and the general public remains an open question.
