Arusha. What began as a hunting expedition in a forest reserve turned tragic for Juma Mwangu after he and two companions were confronted by a group searching for stray cattle, who attacked them with arrows, causing his death.
The fatal incident, which occurred on March 8, 2025, in Mgori Forest Reserve, ended with Hassan Said and Faustine Dawite sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment each after the High Court found them guilty of manslaughter.
Delivered at the High Court Singida Sub-Registry on August 5, 2026, by Judge Ayoub Mwenda, the judgment was formally posted on the Judiciary portal.
Judge Mwenda ruled that the court was satisfied that prosecution evidence proved beyond reasonable doubt the involvement of both convicts in the manslaughter charge.
How it happened
Prosecution evidence revealed that on the day of the incident, Mr Mwangu and two companions, Mr Robert Mungwe and Mr Ng'imba Nkhangaa, entered the forest reserve to hunt.
After failing to catch game, they camped overnight and opted to harvest wild honey the following morning.
The prosecution presented five witnesses, including Mr Mungwe, whose testimony was central to identifying the assailants and establishing their involvement.
Mr Mungwe testified that while harvesting honey, they were swarmed by bees and fled, running into a group searching for lost cattle.
The search party suspected the trio of being livestock thieves and began interrogating them aggressively while wielding bows and arrows.
To intimidate the hostile crowd, the hunters fired shots into the air, but the group responded by shooting arrows at them.
Mr Mungwe told the court that he ran and hid in a bush approximately 400 metres away.
Though he did not witness the immediate struggle, he heard voices, and after the commotion subsided, he returned to the scene to find Mr Mwangu lying in a pool of blood.
Mr Mungwe fled to a temporary camp where he met Mr Nkhangaa before both proceeded to the village to report the incident to authorities.
The key witness stated that he recognised the assailants because the incident occurred in broad daylight and they were familiar to him as residents of Diroma Village, whom he regularly saw at maize auctions.
Mr Mungwe testified that he positively identified Mr Said and Mr Dawite among the attackers because he had known them for more than three years, adding that he saw them strike Mr Mwangu in the left thigh and torso with arrows before he escaped.
Defence arguments
In his defence, Mr Said denied involvement, claiming police officers arrested him on January 2, 2026 at his home before taking him to Singida Central Police Station.
He alleged that police tortured him into unconsciousness while questioning him about his co-accused and the deceased, maintaining he was never at the crime scene on March 8, 2025.
Mr Dawite also denied involvement, presenting an alibi claiming he was in Chemba District, Dodoma Region, driving livestock to auction.
He claimed he left Gorima on March 2, 2025, and remained in Chemba until March 25, 2025.
Court ruling
Evaluating the evidence, Judge Mwenda ruled that the prosecution had proved the manslaughter charge beyond reasonable doubt.
The Judge noted that Mr Mungwe’s identification testimony was credible given the daytime conditions and prior acquaintance with the convicts.
This was corroborated by post-mortem findings confirming Mr Mwangu died from sharp-force trauma.
The Court dismissed Mr Said’s torture claims, noting he failed to cross-examine prosecution witnesses on the allegations.
Similarly, the Court rejected Mr Dawite’s alibi after he failed to produce supporting documents, such as a livestock transit permit.
“With this type of evidence, I am confident that the identification of the accused at the scene and their participation is indisputable,” ruled Judge Mwenda, sentencing both convicts to 15 years’ imprisonment under Sections 195 and 198 of the Penal Code.
