A Kenyan teacher has been confirmed among hundreds killed in Tanzania’s escalating post-election violence following the country’s controversial October 29 general election.
According to human rights defender Hussein Khalid, who shared the news on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday, reports indicate that several Kenyans may have lost their lives in the chaos. Khalid identified one victim as John Okoth Ogutu, a Kenyan teacher who was allegedly shot dead in Ubungo, Dar es Salaam, on election day. His body is reportedly lying at the Mwananyamala Mortuary.
The violence erupted after Tanzanians went to the polls in an election that has been widely condemned for lacking credible opposition. The two main challengers to President Samia Suluhu Hassan — Tundu Lissu of the CHADEMA Party and Luhaga Mpina of ACT-Wazalendo — were either facing treason charges or disqualified from the race.
Despite reports of low voter turnout and widespread voter apathy, Tanzania’s electoral commission announced that President Suluhu had won by a landslide 98 per cent, securing 31.9 million votes out of the 32 million cast. The commission also claimed an 87 per cent voter turnout, figures that have been dismissed by opposition leaders and election observers as grossly inflated.
Protests have since erupted across major cities, with demonstrators accusing the government of election fraud and suppression of dissent. Police have responded with heavy force, resulting in hundreds of fatalities. The opposition claims that at least 700 people have been killed, while diplomatic sources quoted by the BBC estimate around 500 deaths.
Tension has also spilled over to the Namanga border with Kenya, where security forces intervened to prevent cross-border demonstrations. Kenyan authorities are yet to issue an official statement on the reported deaths of their citizens.
As the situation continues to unfold, human rights organizations are calling for an independent investigation into the killings and the conduct of Tanzania’s electoral process.
