Kenyan Teacher John Okoth Ogutu Killed in Post-Election Violence in Tanzania

A Kenyan teacher has been killed in Tanzania during violent unrest following the country’s disputed general elections on 29 October 2025.

John Okoth Ogutu, 33, was reportedly shot dead by police at Goba Centre in Ubungo District, Dar es Salaam, as officers tried to disperse protesters. Ogutu had taught for ten years at Sky School Primary in Kinondoni District. 

The demonstrations erupted after allegations that President Samia Suluhu Hassan used state resources to secure re-election, paralysing several major cities. Humanitarian organisation Voice Africa confirmed Ogutu’s death, describing it as part of a wider pattern of post-election violence. 

According to Tanzania’s main opposition party, CHADEMA, about 700 people have been killed, including foreign nationals. Voice Africa’s chief executive, Khalid Hassan, said several Kenyans were among the dead or missing, raising concerns about the safety of expatriates and the accuracy of official information.

Ogutu’s family in Siaya County, Kenya, said they learned of his death through informal contacts in Tanzania. They were told he was caught in the crossfire when police opened fire on crowds. 

Early reports indicated that his body had been taken to Mwananyamala Mortuary in Kinondoni, but efforts to locate it have been unsuccessful. The family now fears he may have been buried secretly to conceal the extent of the violence. His sister, Jennifer Otieno, said the family has received conflicting information. 

“We were told many bodies were taken to the mortuary, including John’s. But now we hear there are no bodies there at all,” she said. 

His brother, Evans Odhiambo, appealed to Tanzanian authorities to help find Ogutu’s remains and return his personal effects. “They were planning to return to Kenya. We just want to bury our brother and find closure,” he said.

The family said they have made repeated appeals to the Tanzanian High Commission and Kenya’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs but have received no clear response. The disappearance of Ogutu’s body has raised serious concerns about how casualties are being handled. 

Reports of secret burials and mismanaged mortuaries suggest possible efforts to hide the true scale of the violence.