Tanzania woman killed, body dumped in septic tank; bar worker arrested

Arusha. “She told me to stay strong because my younger sister had died. The moment I heard those words, I fainted,” said Salma Musa, sister of the late Husna Shabani, as she recounted the painful circumstances surrounding her sister’s disappearance and eventual death.

Ms Musa said Husna left home on the night of Friday, June 12, 2026, as was her routine, but never returned and could not be reached by phone until her body was discovered in a septic tank on Sunday, June 14, 2026.

According to a statement issued on Monday, June 15, 2026, by Arusha Regional Police Commander Justine Masejo, police are holding a cleaner at Shisha Village bar and a resident of Maji ya Chai, Mr Lameck Mlay, in connection with the incident.

Ms Musa was speaking to journalists at her home yesterday following the death of her younger sister, Husna.

She said concern grew after neighbours called on Saturday, asking whether Husna had returned home.

“I started calling her on Friday night, but her phone was unreachable. I continued coordinating with neighbours and local leaders to establish where she could have been,” she said.

According to Ms Musa, while efforts to trace her sister were ongoing, she received a phone call on Sunday from one of Husna’s friends who worked as a waitress at Shisha Village bar in the Mbauda area.

“She told me she knew my sister and that the last time she saw her, she was wearing a military-style trouser. She then told me to stay strong because Husna had died. After hearing that, I completely lost consciousness,” she said.

After regaining consciousness, Ms Musa said she was advised to go to the bar for more information regarding the incident.

“She told me to stay strong so the manager could show me the CCTV footage. I asked my son to go because he knew the place, while I was still in shock. But when they arrived, the manager had disappeared, and my son was told to return with older people because he was too young, while the body had already been taken to the mortuary,” she said.

In a statement, Commander Masejo alleged that the suspect committed the offence on the evening of Sunday, June 14, 2026, at the bar in the Elerai area, Arusha City, where he allegedly assaulted the victim on different parts of her body, causing her death before dumping the body into a septic tank within the premises.

“Preliminary investigations have established that before the incident, the suspect and the deceased were together enjoying themselves at the venue. Investigations are continuing alongside other legal procedures,” reads part of the statement.

Local leaders/owner

Initial reports indicate that before her death, Husna had been seen with a man alleged to have been her boyfriend.

A local government leader from the area where Husna lived, Ms Veronica Karani, said residents were demanding justice for the deceased.

“We received information about the incident in the morning. Since Saturday, she had not been seen again. She was an independent young woman who lived alone. What we want is justice to prevail,” said Ms Karani.

According to her, it was common for the deceased to go out at night because she frequently visited entertainment venues on weekends.

Meanwhile, the owner of Shisha Village, Mr Felix Instabul, said information about the incident first reached them through people familiar with the relationship between the deceased and the suspect.

He said someone informed them that Husna had allegedly been killed by his employee and, because the two had been in a long-term relationship, nobody suspected anything unusual when they were seen together.

“The incident occurred in the back area where there are guest rooms. It happened on the night leading into Saturday, and recently one young man informed me rumours were circulating that someone was seeking advice after quarrelling with his girlfriend, who had died,” he said.

“He asked whether we had checked the entire area to see if there was a body behind the premises. We told him no, but he insisted he had received information that something serious had happened and that someone was seeking advice after committing the act.

“That is when we began investigating and arrested him. During questioning, he claimed he wanted money, but the woman told him she only had a small amount. Since they were close, an argument erupted, and he held her hand before she fell inside the room,” he claimed.

He alleged that after further questioning, the suspect eventually confessed, prompting them to call police officers who arrived at the scene and took both the suspect and the body of the deceased.