Demolition of 24 prayer houses on Monday fails to take place

What you need to know:

Tanzania Roads Agency (Tanroads) expected to start demolishing 24 prayer houses on Monday October 16, but it didn’t take place.

Muslims of Al-Masijid Kirumbi Islamic Centre, Kimara, have said they will not demolish or remove any property from their mosque because it is against Islamic faith.

Tanzania Roads Agency (Tanroads) expected to start demolishing 24 prayer houses on Monday October 16, but it didn’t take place.

However, The Citizen witnessed some church members at St Mary’s Church, Kimara Parish, removing from the church properties like benches, files, computers, boxes and the lectern.

The Citizen saw church members busy removing church property and, when they were asked for comment they declined to do so, saying they were not the spokesperson of the church. “If you want to cover news, please, contact the parish priest.”

An imam, Mr Ramadhan Juma, said they would not remove any property or demolish the mosque unless Tanraoads did it because their faith did not allow them to do so.

“Although the new law on road reserve shows that we are in the road reserve, we will not demolish or remove any asset from the mosque. This is our stand,” he stressed.

Tanraods senior official Johson Rutechula told The citizen that the demotion did not take off as planned because they received a phone call from one of the Islamic leaders begging them to give them more time.

He said they had only given them a few days to demolish the mosque on their own and because it was a lawful operation, demolition would continue as planned.