Girlfriend, accomplice held in Dar es Salaam murder case

Addressing journalists on Friday, March 20, 2026, the Dar es Salaam Special Zone Police Commander, Jumanne Muliro, said the suspects were arrested on March 18, 2026, in Morogoro Region following investigations conducted with the cooperation of members of the public.

Commander Muliro said one suspect has been identified as Rahema Maulidi, 42, a resident of Kigamboni, while the second suspect’s name is being withheld due to ongoing investigations.

“All suspects are in custody and continue to be intensively questioned in connection with the incident, while legal procedures are underway to enable their prosecution,” said Mr Muliro.

The police force commended the cooperation provided by members of the public, saying it significantly contributed to the successful arrests.

The commander also emphasised that such collaboration remains an important pillar in the fight against crime.

Commander Muliro further called on citizens to continue providing accurate and timely information to help curb criminal acts and strengthen security in their communities.

Although Mr Muliro did not provide details, The Citizen’s sister newspaper Mwananchi’s source explained that Ms Rehema, who is Mr Nyanza’s girlfriend, was traced through her communications with the deceased’s relatives and friends, sending messages concerning a child.

According to the source, this communication enabled investigators to track her movements via her phone, which also helped determine her hiding place in Morogoro Region, leading to her eventual arrest.

“She was sending messages to various people about the child, which made it easier to trace her through her communications until she was arrested,” the source explained.

Apart from the deceased’s relatives, the source said the suspect was also communicating with other people, including her own relatives who attempted to help her evade arrest using various tactics.

How they tracked her

The deceased’s friend Mr Madebe Lidai, said on Thursday, March 19, 2026, that Mr Nyanza’s girlfriend was placed under watch after suspicions arose following the disappearance of the deceased.

He said the woman was questioned by police about Mr Nyanza’s whereabouts but failed to give satisfactory answers and frequently switched off her phone, heightening suspicion and prompting deeper investigations.

“I asked her whether she had communicated with Mr Nyanza and she said she did not know where he was. However, before he disappeared, Nyanza told me he was going to visit that girlfriend in Kigamboni, which made me begin to suspect her,” said Mr Lidai.

He added that earlier, when she was taken to Chanika Police Station for questioning, the suspect gave conflicting answers and requested to be released to search for her boyfriend.

According to Mr Lidai, police released her on bail under conditions to allow investigations to continue, requiring her to look for Mr Nyanza. The bail was guaranteed by her sister.

However, he said the decision to release her raised further suspicion among the deceased’s family given the seriousness of the incident.

“I did not understand the logic of releasing a person under such circumstances, but I assumed there might have been investigative reasons,” he said.

After her release, the suspect did not return nor was she seen again, increasing concern.

It is alleged her guarantor was also difficult to locate and had no answers regarding her whereabouts.

As a result, police continued investigations, and the guarantor was arrested through her communications, while efforts to trace the suspect herself continued, particularly at her Kigamboni residence.

According to the source, a young woman who had been living in the deceased’s house was also arrested on suspicion of providing information to people visiting the area.

However, reports indicate that when questioned about Nyanza’s whereabouts, the young woman claimed to have no information and said she had only recently moved into the house. Nevertheless, police took her in for further questioning.

It was explained that after arresting these individuals, investigations continued with detailed interrogations, during which officers accompanied family members to Kigamboni to follow up on additional information.

“When we arrived, fellow tenants said they had not seen her for several days, but she had been coming home secretly,” recounted Mr Lidai.

According to other tenants, the suspect had been wearing ninja-style clothing and dark glasses to conceal her identity, which raised concern among them.

It was also explained that before disappearing, the suspect informed fellow tenants she was selling some household belongings because she intended to travel and would not return.

“She sold some household items such as sofas and told her neighbours she was leaving and would never return,” he said.

After receiving that information, the family became alarmed and requested police to investigate a pit dug near Mr Nyanza’s house, leading to the discovery of his body.

Body not yet released

When The Citizen’s sister newspaper Mwananchi sought to know whether the body had been handed over to relatives for burial, Mr Lidai said forensic investigations, including DNA testing, were still ongoing, and once completed, the body would be released.

“We expected to receive the body yesterday (Thursday) to conduct the burial today (Friday), but we are still waiting for the DNA test results, which take between 24 and 48 hours,” he said.

Inquired, the Police Force explained that investigations were ongoing to establish the full truth of the incident before strict legal action is taken against all those found involved in the murder.