TANZANIA: Kagera records 600 cases of gender related violence

Written by MEDDY MULISA in Bukoba

OVER 600 cases related to Gender Violence (GBV) were recorded in Kagera Region between January and November, this year, the Kagera Regional Police Commander (RPC), Philip Kalangi, has said.

The RPC said during the same period, 306 cases of rape, 12 cases of sodomy and 135 cases related to cruelty to women were also recorded. According to Mr Kalangi, 25 students who were attending school dropped out due to pregnancies while 18 others also cut short their lessons due to various reasons that remain unclear.

Mr Kalangi urged Kagera residents to report any incident of GBV to the nearest police station, saying prompt action would be taken. In another development, hundreds of shocked Bukoba residents could not believe their eyes when a body of a woman aged between 25-30 years old was being retrieved from a toilet septic tank.

The grisly incident happened on Wednesday at Buyekera Ward, in Bukoba Municipality. The Chairman for Buyekera Street, Justinian Kamugisha, told the ‘Sunday News’ that tenants near the scene where the body was recovered had complained to him that a foul smell emanated from the toilet septic tank. He said people had thought that a stray dog might have drowned in the septic tank.

However, when the pit was opened, the people were shocked to find a decaying body of a woman, who was yet to be identified. Police were immediately notified and arrived on the scene with a team of medical officials who recovered the body.

Meanwhile, the body of a man aged between 25-32 years was on Wednesday morning found hanging from a tree branch at Majengo Mapya, in Kashai Ward, Bukoba Municipality. Kagera Regional Police Commander (RPC) Philip Kalangi, identified the deceased as Denice Daudi, a resident of Kashai Ward.

RPC Kalangi said police investigations were in progress to determine the cause of the deaths. There were no suspects arrested in connection with the two separate incidents, he said.

Source: Daily News (09/12/2012): http://www.dailynews.co.tz/index.php/local-news/12462-kagera-records-600-cases-of-gender-related-violence