Tanapa official found dead

Arusha. Shock and grief gripped the wildlife conservation circles here yesterday following a reported gruesome murder of a senior official of the Tanzania National Parks (Tanapa).

Emily Kisamo, a protection manager of the national conservation body with head offices in Arusha, was found dead in a vehicle early yesterday.

Details of the killing were not readily available as both the Tanapa officials and the police maintained they were still collecting more clues after the body was found.

The Regional Police Commander, Mr Liberatus Sabas, confirmed the death when reached by The Citizen commment, adding that the body was found at an area called Kikwarukwaru near the Njiro residential suburb south east of the city. “The body of the deceased was found today (Saturday) in his vehicle and investigations were going on,” he said, insisting that a manhunt for the killers had just started.

Reports from the scene had it that the deceased had his throat slit.

Tanapa spokesperson Pascal Shelutete also confirmed the incident but could not provide the details saying information about the death would be communicated to the public later.

News about the death sent shock waves in Arusha and the wildlife conservation fraternity, but many worries were on the motive of the killing of a key official in the wake of an on-going war against wildlife poaching.

Police Force spokesperson in the region, Mr Rashid Nchimbi, said that although he was aware of the death, he was not in a position to discuss it as he was out of Arusha on official assignment. “The RPC is in a better position to explain this,” he stated on phone.

Further reports had it the scene where his body was found was not very far from the residence of the fallen official in Njiro; an up market residential suburb where senior public officials and business people have secured residences in recent years.

The late Kisamo may have not been much in the news like other Tanapa officials but was seen in a recent seminar on anti-poaching and which involved law enforcers from all the state organs.

His age and other details could not be sourced from relevant authorities.

He spoke about challenges facing the fight against poaching.