Children of slain Arusha mogul seek help

Arusha. Three children of the late billionaire, Erasto Msuya, who was shot dead in 2013, have asked for help in salvaging their father’s estate worth billions of shillings.

The children claim that they are worried that relatives are taking the advantage of the death of their father and the absence of their mother – who is in custody in connection with the death of her late husband’s sister - to dispossess them of the wealth.

But the relatives, represented by Msuya’s sister, Antuja Msuya, refute the claims saying they were only protecting the assets from being sold “contrary to procedures.” The late Msuya, who was a famous Arusha-based Tanzanite mining mogul, left behind significant wealth that include the SG Resort, several Tanzanite mines and a fleet of vehicles.

Speaking to reporters yesterday, Msuya’s eldest son, Kelvin Msuya, said since the death of their father in 2013 and the arrest of their mother in 2017 for, allegedly conspiring in the murder of their aunt, Aneth Msuya, they have been living miserable lives.

Kelvin, who was studying in Australia when his father was killed, had to abandon studies. He notes that he was receiving threats and was once arrested after he enquired about plots to dispossess the children of their father’s wealth.

“I now live in a hotel together with my siblings. We have no permanent abode because of fear of being attacked. Our relatives have prevented us from even accessing our father’s houses,” he said.

But Antuja said they decided to lock the houses after some properties of their late brother had started being sold contrary to procedures.

“These children are being sowed with the seed of hatred as we locked the houses, whose keys we handed over to them. There is not any relative who owns the house or property of their late father,” said Antuja.

He said in February 28, 2014 two years before their mother was charged in connection with the killing of their aunt, they gave the relatives control of 40 per cent of their father’s estate. Despite that the relatives went ahead to illegally take control of their father’s whole estate despite the fact that it was their mother who was appointed as the administrator of the estate in the case No 8 of 2013.

The relatives then unsuccessfully lodged two cases in courts of law to claim their father’s estate. They have again opened another case asking the court to appoint them as administrator of the estate.

“We ask the government to help us in this issue because we are about to lose our father’s estate,” said Kelvin.