Shock over slaying of arusha researchers

Arusha. Shock and disbelief gripped the Selian Agricultural Research Institute (Sari) in Arusha after the brutal killing of its researchers in Dodoma evening.

"This is total madness" lamented Zawadiel Mrinji, an official of the Agricultural Research Agency (Asa) based here.

He said they could not understand why the villagers in Mvumi ward attacked their staff members who were on duty there for the last one week.
Two researchers with the institute and a driver were hacked to death at around and their bodies burnt beyond recognition inside their vehicle.
The deceased have been identified as Teddy Lumanga and Faraji Mafuru, both of them researchers and their driver Nicas Magazine.
Mafuru is the son of the current director of Sari Dr. January Mafuru and was recruited recently.
The brutal killings shocked the research community with the institute located close to the Arusha airport.
A senior research coordinator with the organization Dr. Charles Lyamchai said the deceased had a letter of recognition before they travelled to Dodoma more than a week ago.
He said the slain officials were part of  three teams of researchers currently doing soil analysis under the Tanzania Soil Information Services project aimed to prepare a soil fertility map for the country.
He told The Citizen that the slaying of their colleagues was beyond comprehension because researchers with the institute have been to many remote areas without such incident.
"This had not happened in the past. It is a big tragedy", he explained.