On November 25, 2025, a remarkable scene unfolded at the Ilemela District Court in Mwanza, Tanzania: 76 individuals, previously charged with treason in connection with the unrest that followed the country’s October 29 general election, walked free—at least for now. The decision came after the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) filed nolle prosequi notices, halting criminal proceedings against the accused. The move, while not an outright acquittal, marked a significant moment in Tanzania’s ongoing struggle to balance justice, political stability, and public trust in the wake of a deeply contentious election.
The court’s action was split between two Principal Resident Magistrates—Pela Kiama and Christian Mwalimu—who discharged 57 and 19 accused persons, respectively. The legal mechanism at play, nolle prosequi, is a power granted to the DPP under Section 91(1) of the Criminal Procedure Act. It allows the state to pause criminal cases before judgment, but with a caveat: the charges can be revived if new evidence emerges. For the 76, freedom comes with a lingering uncertainty, as the shadow of possible future prosecution remains.
According to Daily News, this legal development did not occur in a vacuum. It followed direct orders from President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who, in the wake of the election turmoil, instructed authorities to review cases and consider dropping charges—especially against young people swept up in protests without clear criminal intent. President Samia’s approach, as articulated in her public statements, was to seek a balance: “fairness, proportionality, and consideration of national interests” while enforcing the law. She emphasized that many participants in the post-election demonstrations acted out of heightened emotion or peer pressure, rather than deliberate malice.
“Let us pray that God receives the souls of those who died in the unrest of October 29. I was personally deeply saddened by that incident, and I extend my condolences to all families who lost their loved ones. May God grant them rest, and we pray for the swift recovery of the injured,” President Samia said during the inauguration of Tanzania’s 13th Parliament on November 14, 2025. The president’s call for a one-minute silence in honor of the victims underscored the depth of the tragedy and the government’s desire to turn the page on a painful chapter.
But even as the government moves to release some of those caught up in the protests, Tanzania remains under the international microscope. On November 24, Chief Government Spokesperson Gerson Msigwa announced that the state was still verifying the claims made in a recent CNN investigative report on the post-election violence. According to Msigwa, the government plans to issue a comprehensive official statement once its review is complete. He criticized CNN, saying the network “did not adhere to professionalism or fairness” and failed to sufficiently include the government’s perspective. “It is not true that CNN was unable to get the Government’s side of the issue in all the reports they are releasing,” Msigwa told journalists, as reported by Daily News.
Msigwa’s criticisms went further. He accused CNN of releasing reports that “mislead and create unnecessary tension,” especially at a time when the country is coping with loss and instability. He was particularly troubled by the repeated use of graphic images of the dead on social media platforms linked to the documentary, calling it “unprofessional and unacceptable.”
The CNN investigation, led by Kenyan journalist Larry Madowo, documented alleged police shootings of unarmed protesters during the post-election unrest. The report also featured claims of a mass gravesite where victims of police brutality were allegedly buried in an effort to conceal the scale of the killings. Madowo, for his part, has publicly defended his reporting, stating on social media that he had attempted to cover the Tanzanian elections in person but was denied journalistic accreditation—effectively barring him from entering the country as a reporter at the time of the polls.
Since the disputed October 29 election, Tanzania has been gripped by turmoil. Protests erupted in major towns as early as November, with opposition leaders accusing President Samia Suluhu of manipulating the electoral process. The government’s response was swift and severe: mass arrests and hundreds of treason charges against opposition supporters. The unrest led to deaths and injuries, as acknowledged by President Samia herself, and left a nation searching for answers and healing.
In response to both domestic and international outcry, the Tanzanian government appointed a Commission of Inquiry, led by retired Chief Justice Mohamed Chande, to investigate the violence and the broader concerns raised by local and international actors. The commission’s mandate is to provide an independent assessment of the events that transpired, including the conduct of security forces and the circumstances surrounding the casualties. The move is seen by some as a step toward transparency, though others remain skeptical about its potential to deliver genuine accountability.
The government’s handling of the CNN report has become a flashpoint in the broader debate over press freedom and the role of international media in covering sensitive political events. Msigwa’s insistence that CNN failed to adhere to journalistic standards—particularly fairness and balance—reflects a longstanding tension between governments and foreign correspondents in times of crisis. “It is disturbing to see a media house like CNN could make such a mistake. The Tanzanian government is urging CNN to abide by journalism ethics and standards,” Msigwa said, as cited by Daily News.
Madowo, meanwhile, maintains that his team made every effort to present a comprehensive account of the violence, but was hampered by the government’s refusal to grant access. His reporting, which includes interviews with victims’ families and eyewitnesses, has sparked heated debate both within Tanzania and abroad. Critics of the government argue that the crackdown on protesters and the reluctance to allow independent reporting point to deeper issues of accountability and democratic governance.
For many Tanzanians, the events of late 2025 have left scars that will not soon fade. The deaths and disruptions acknowledged by President Samia, the mass arrests, and the ongoing questions about the true extent of the violence have shaken public confidence. The government’s steps to release some detainees and review controversial prosecutions may help to ease tensions, but the path toward reconciliation remains fraught with challenges.
As the Commission of Inquiry begins its work and the world awaits the government’s official response to the CNN report, the question on everyone’s mind is whether Tanzania can move beyond this crisis with its institutions—and its social fabric—intact. For now, the eyes of the nation, and indeed the world, remain fixed on Mwanza, Dar es Salaam, and every corner of a country striving to find its footing after a tumultuous election season.
In the end, the story of Tanzania’s 2025 election unrest is still being written. But the events of November—in the courts, on the streets, and in the halls of power—have already left an indelible mark on the nation’s history.
