Body of slain Chinese businessman found in Dar es Salaam factory trench

He lived inside the factory compound together with another Chinese employee and security guards.

Speaking to The Citizen's sister publication, Mwananchi, on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, the company’s accountant, Mr Eversophy Michael, said workers arrived at the factory on Saturday morning expecting a normal working day, only to be met by unusual silence and growing fear.

“We arrived as usual expecting the guards to open the gate, but despite knocking repeatedly, nobody responded. That is when we started becoming worried,” he said.

According to him, employees repeatedly called the businessman’s phone, but there was no response, prompting them to contact another Chinese employee inside the premises to open the gate.

Once inside, workers noticed that the night guards were missing, while Bhaozang Ge’s phone could be heard ringing inside his room.

“When we entered, the guards were nowhere to be seen, but the boss’s phone was ringing inside his room. We immediately sensed something could have happened during the night,” said Mr Michael.

He said workers later entered the room and found the phone, but the businessman himself was missing.

“At that point everyone became confused, and we started suspecting that something terrible had happened,” he added.

Workers then contacted several police stations fearing there may have been a violent incident or arrests during the night, but no information had been recorded.

Suspicion deepened after a guard stationed at the main gate reportedly told them he had seen two Maasai guards leaving the premises at around 3am, one carrying a bag.

“They said they were taking someone to hospital because one of them was unwell. Since they were our guards, nobody suspected anything unusual,” said Mr Michael.

The workers then began searching every corner of the factory as anxiety intensified.

Their fears were confirmed when they reached a trench near the grinding machines used in processing raw materials.

“When we arrived there, we found blood and the body of our boss lying inside the trench. Everyone was shocked. Some people started crying while others could not even speak,” the accountant said tearfully.

Mr Michael said further suspicion was raised by the disappearance of the night guards alongside a bag containing operational cash belonging to the factory.

He described the incident as deeply painful for workers who had seen their employer alive only a day earlier.

A company employee, Ms Felista Deus, said workers remained traumatised by the incident and uncertain about the future of the company and their jobs.

“Honestly, the news has devastated us. We are struggling even to speak because this is something that has hurt us deeply,” she said.

She added that many employees now feared for their livelihoods, as the factory had been supporting numerous families.

Meanwhile, police in the Dar es Salaam Special Zone have confirmed that investigations into the killing are ongoing.

In a statement issued on May 19, 2026, Special Zone Police Commander Jumanne Muliro said the incident occurred on May 16 at around 2am, when the businessman was allegedly attacked by private security guards assigned to the factory.

“Investigations are continuing so that the suspects can be identified and brought to justice,” the statement said.