Moshi. The funeral service for 18-year-old Michael Rambau, who allegedly hanged himself while in police custody in Moshi, Kilimanjaro Region, was disrupted on Saturday after hundreds of young bodaboda riders confronted the Catholic priest leading the ceremony.
The disruption forced the priest to leave the site quickly for his own safety.
The youths refused to listen to the prayers being recited, shouting loudly and demanding to be told the truth about the circumstances surrounding their colleague’s death.
At the time of reporting, the funeral proceedings had stalled. The youths had surrounded the coffin containing Rambau’s body, while hundreds of mourners sat in groups waiting for the burial to resume.
A plumber and bodaboda rider Rambau, who was from Karikacha area, Rau Ward, was reportedly found dead in his holding cell on January 13, 2026. He had been arrested over allegations of assaulting his uncle, Brian Felix, during a dispute.
According to a statement issued on January 14 by Kilimanjaro Regional Police Commander Simon Maigwa, Rambau was also wanted in connection with the alleged killing of his biological father on November 22, 2025, after reportedly attacking him with a sharp object and fleeing. He was later arrested on January 13 over the assault allegations.
