Headteacher killed in gruesome attack in Kahama, Tanzania

Shinyanga. The headteacher of Busalala Primary School in Mwendakulima Ward, Kahama District, Shinyanga Region, has been killed after being stabbed in the neck with a sharp object by unidentified assailants in the early hours of Saturday, August 9, 2025.

Regional Police Commander Janeth Magomi confirmed the incident, naming the deceased as Fatuma Khamis. She said the attackers stabbed her on the right side of the neck before fleeing.

Preliminary investigations, she noted, indicate the murder may be linked to a domestic dispute between the victim and her husband, who is currently in police custody for further questioning.

“She was stabbed on the right side of her neck with a sharp object by unidentified individuals. Our initial findings point to a family dispute. We are continuing investigations to establish the motive, and the body has been preserved at Kahama Municipal Hospital,” said Ms Magomi.

She added that cases of physical violence in the region have declined, with police intensifying public education for couples to avoid such incidents, which are against the law.

Budushi Sub-Village Chairperson Richard Charles said he received news of the killing at around 3 a.m. from residents, prompting him to visit the scene and inform other local leaders.

He said it was the third such attack in the area, following the killing of a man with machetes and the slashing of a woman by unknown assailants. “We have now organised ourselves so that each neighbour has the other’s phone number. If they hear even the gate being touched, they should call immediately,” he said.

Neighbour Gervas Gabriel said the incident had deeply saddened the community, describing Ms Khamis as a friendly person, and called on the Government to take stern action against those responsible.

Mwendakulima Ward militia member Philimon Nyanda said the deceased’s four-year-old child discovered her body. “He found his mother lying on the floor in a pool of blood and went to a neighbour, telling them, ‘My mother has died. I want to sleep at your place; I’m not sleeping there again.’ The neighbours then woke up and followed up,” he said.

Fellow teacher Rachel Isaac said the murder had shocked the teaching fraternity. “Our colleague was humble and unassuming. The Government should take this matter seriously because anyone could face similar danger in our line of work,” she said.