Tabora. The Tabora Sub-registry of the High Court of Tanzania has sentenced a man to death by hanging after he was found guilty of orchestrating the murder of his elder brother over a dowry dispute of 10 cows.
Bushesha Jimola was convicted on September 18, 2025, by Judge Frank Mirindo, who concluded that the prosecution had established its case beyond reasonable doubt. The ruling, now available on the Judiciary’s online portal, followed a two-year trial regarding the killing that took place in October 2022.
Bushesha’s co-accused, Maziku Kulwa, alias Mgenja, was acquitted after the court found insufficient evidence linking him to the crime.
According to court records, Bushesha conspired to kill his brother, Juma Jimola, after learning that Juma had allegedly sold 10 cows that were intended as a dowry for Bushesha’s daughter.
Prosecution evidence indicated that on October 4, 2022, three men approached Juma’s home in Kadoke, Mbutu Ward, Nzega District.
They called him aside before attacking him. One assailant struck him with a club, while the others assaulted him with machetes.
Juma’s wife, Banya Malale, attempted to raise the alarm but was also struck with a club and lost consciousness. When she regained her senses, she fled with her children to her brother-in-law, Marko Masunga, who lived nearby.
An autopsy revealed that Juma died instantly from excessive bleeding due to multiple deep wounds on his head, hands, and neck.
Confession and evidence
The prosecution’s case heavily relied on Bushesha’s confession, in which he admitted to paying two hired killers with two cows valued at Sh1.2 million to eliminate his brother.
He stated that one of the hired killers, Mgenja Mkoma, disclosed that Juma had initially paid Sh800,000 to have Bushesha killed but later abandoned that plan and turned against Juma instead.
Judge Mirindo noted that although Bushesha was not physically present at the crime scene, his confession and corroborating testimony from Juma’s widow and child positioned him at the centre of the conspiracy.
“The statement reveals clear malice between the accused and the deceased. Along with eyewitness accounts, the evidence meets the legal threshold required in a murder case,” said the judge.
Court ruling
The judge determined that Maziku Kulwa had been wrongly identified as one of the attackers, pointing out that neither Bushesha’s statement nor other evidence directly linked him to the murder. Consequently, he was set free.
However, Bushesha was found guilty of murder, contrary to sections 196 and 197 of the Penal Code.
“This is clear evidence of intent to cause death under section 200 (a) of the Penal Code. The prosecution has proved its case beyond reasonable doubt. The accused is hereby convicted and sentenced to death by hanging,” ruled Judge Mirindo.d Judge Mirindo.
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