Dodoma. Residents of Mazengo Street in Zuzu Ward, Dodoma City, have raised concerns over the demolition of their houses at night by unidentified people, saying the incidents have left them worried about the future of their land.
The residents told The Citizen’s sister newspaper, Mwananchi on September 11, 2026, that houses in the area had been demolished while they were asleep or away attending to their daily activities, making it difficult for them to identify those responsible.
Some residents said they had lived in the area for between seven and 10 years without experiencing such incidents. They said the recent demolitions had raised concerns about who was behind them and the status of the land on which they had built their homes.
However, Dodoma City Council said it was not aware of the reported demolitions.
City Council Information Officer Denis Gondwe said the complaints were new to the council and that he had only learnt about them from the journalist.
He said the council would investigate the reports to establish what was happening in the area before issuing an official statement.
“These reports are new to us. We have not heard them anywhere before. I need to follow them up first to establish what is happening so that we can provide accurate information,” Mr Gondwe said.
One of the residents, Mr Paul Ndiongo, said the demolitions usually occurred at night when residents were asleep or away, making it difficult to identify those responsible.
He said groups of people also visited the area during the day, claiming to be the lawful owners of the land. According to him, some of the groups included religious institutions and were accompanied by security personnel.
“I have lived here for seven years and have never faced any problems. But the other day, I returned from work in the morning and found that part of a house under construction had been demolished. When I left for work, it was intact,” Mr Ndiongo said.
Another resident, Ms Sada Abasi, said the demolitions had also been accompanied by the theft of livestock, including goats and chickens, further increasing fear among residents.
She said the houses targeted were mainly those under construction or completed but not yet occupied.
Ms Abasi also said residents had received threats from some people who visited the area during the day and claimed ownership of the plots.
She called for an investigation to establish the identity of the people visiting the area and demolishing the houses.
“Recently, some people came, parked their vehicles a short distance from the area, walked around the entire area and later left. We are asking that these people be investigated so that we can also know who they are because sometimes we are afraid to speak to them for fear of our safety,” she said.
Mazengo Street Chairperson Joshua Kajembe confirmed receiving complaints from the residents but said he had not yet visited the affected area because of other official duties and the distance between his office and the location.
Mr Kajembe said he had summoned the residents to his office on Friday morning to obtain more information about the incident and establish what had happened, but they did not turn up.
A Mwananchi visit to the area found that the houses being demolished were located on open plots and were mainly at various stages of construction. Houses occupied by residents had not been demolished.
