Dar es Salaam. The Registration, Insolvency and Trusteeship Agency (Rita) has disbanded the Board of Trustees of the Seventh-day Adventist Church of Tanzania over allegations of property mismanagement and failure to discharge duties prescribed by law.
Rita Chief Executive Officer, Mr Frank Kanyusi, told reporters on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, that the decision followed findings contained in a special report by the Controller and Auditor General (CAG), which was submitted to the agency.
He said the report established that the board had grossly failed to fulfil its legal obligations and had mismanaged church properties.
According to Mr Kanyusi, the special audit was conducted following complaints lodged by members of the church, who alleged collective gross misconduct by members of the board.
“The report confirmed serious failures in the discharge of duties as defined by law, including mismanagement of church properties,” he said.
He explained that the decision to dissolve the board was guided by the law, adding that the CAG’s report would be forwarded to other relevant state agencies for further action.
Mr Kanyusi further said the church has been given seven days to submit to Rita the names of 10 members to form an interim committee that will oversee church activities pending the appointment of a new Board of Trustees.
The Registrar of Civil Societies in the Ministry of Home Affairs, Mr Emmanuel Kihampa, said his office had received several complaints from church members, including allegations of embezzlement of church property and failure to submit annual reports as required by law.
“The conflicts we see in religious institutions often begin as complaints. If those complaints are not addressed in time, they turn into formal grievances, and if the grievances are still not resolved promptly, they eventually result in serious conflicts,” Mr Kihampa said.
He said that unresolved disputes within religious institutions could lead to divisions, internal rifts and, ultimately, a breach of the peace.
