When Michael Kamuhanda Is Mentioned, We Remember Daudi Mwangosi

 

Adeladius Makwega – MBAGALA

At the end of January 2026, Tanzanian media outlets reported the death of retired Assistant Commissioner of Police Michael Kamuhanda. He had retired from the Tanzania Police Force in 2014 and passed away on January 29, 2026, while receiving treatment at Bugando Zonal Hospital in Mwanza Region.

Following this death, Mwanakwetu did not initially pay much attention to it, largely because on social media the bereavement was viewed in a negative light. This was due to the events that occurred on October 29, 2025 and the days that followed, during which the Tanzania Police Force was heavily blamed.

Somewhat surprisingly, in mid-January 2026, Mwanakwetu prepared an audio, video, and written feature titled “Afande RCO Acha Gere.” In one of the final paragraphs, he mentioned Afande Advocate Nyombi, who had once served as Regional Police Commander (RPC) of Iringa and later RPC of Mbeya, describing him as an officer who had very good relations with the people of Iringa at that time.

“Even the killing of journalist Daudi Mwangosi happened after Afande Nyombi had been transferred to Mbeya and Iringa had received a new RPC. The killing of Daudi Mwangosi would have been difficult to occur during the time of Afande Advocate Nyombi.”

In this feature, Afande RCO Usione Gere, Mwanakwetu deliberately avoided mentioning the name of the new RPC who came to Iringa after Afande Advocate Nyombi left. There were many reasons for this, one of them being his awareness that the new RPC of Iringa after Afande Advocate Nyombi was Afande Michael Kamuhanda. It was during that period that Daudi Mwangosi was killed, while Afande Kamuhanda was only a few meters away from where the incident occurred.

Mwanakwetu understood that the police force requires firmness, but the firmness of a police officer should not extend to harming entire families. When the name of one family member is mentioned negatively in any matter, it leaves deep wounds for relatives, the family, and even the entire clan. This is because, immediately after the killing of Daudi Mwangosi, Mwanakwetu remembers that some people linked Afande Michael Kamuhanda by lineage to the then Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Information, Sethi Kamuhanda, without knowing whether they were actually related or not.

“Why is it that Sethi Kamuhanda has good relations with workers in the ministry? Why then is Afande Michael Kamuhanda spoken of so badly, even being linked to the killing of Daudi Mwangosi on September 2, 2012?”

At that time, the case of Daudi Mwangosi’s killing was still under investigation. Retired Judge, Honorable Amir Manento, stated in his inquiry that the CHADEMA gathering was not illegal, and that by declaring it illegal, the Regional Police Commander of Iringa (RPC), Assistant Commissioner of Police Michael Kamuhanda, had himself acted unlawfully.

“The order issued by Afande Michael Kamuhanda was illegal because it was issued by a person who did not have the authority to issue such an order. That was an abuse of power and a violation of the principles of good governance.”

Retired Judge Manento read a summary of his commission’s findings to the media on Wednesday, October 10, 2012.

 Ultimately, in this case, a young man named Pacificus Simon, who was an FFU police officer, was the only one convicted of the killing of Daudi Mwangosi and sentenced to 15 years in prison. The case was decided by Judge Paulo Kihwele, who is now a Justice of the Court of Appeal of Tanzania and the Principal of the Institute of Judicial Administration (IJA) in Lushoto.

The key point is this: Afande Michael Kamuhanda passed away on January 29, 2026, while Daudi Mwangosi died on September 2, 2012. Daudi Mwangosi died while on duty as a journalist, covering a CHADEMA meeting, and he was also the Chairperson of the Iringa Region Press Club. Afande Kamuhanda died 11 years after safely retiring from his job, and 13 years after the death of Daudi Mwangosi.

So, what does Mwanakwetu say today?

Out of respect for Mwanakwetu readers, allow me to mention three major things about Daudi Mwangosi that personally affected Mwanakwetu when he was in Iringa at that time.

First:
In 2005, the head of Isimani Tarafani Secondary School, Ms. Dainess Semuyala, called Mwanakwetu and told him that there was a letter for him at the school’s office. Mwanakwetu, then a student at Tumaini University Iringa, traveled from Iringa town to collect the letter. When he received it, it read in part:

“…we, members of the Iringa Press Club, have seen your contribution to the media sector, both on radio and in newspapers. Therefore, Iringa Press Club invites you to join our club, even though you are still a student at Tumaini University Iringa. Upon receiving this letter, please visit our offices in Iringa town so that we may be together in the journalism profession in Tanzania. Thank you very much.
Daudi Mwangosi
Iringa Press Club.”

Mwanakwetu visited the Iringa Press Club offices, which were near the Post Office Bank in Iringa town, close to the Municipal offices. That was where he came to know the Iringa Press Club and many of its journalists, including Daudi Mwangosi, Frank Leonard, Friday Simbaya, Eliasa Ally, Majjid Mjengwa, Temmy Mahondo, Rose Majani, Mpoki Mwakapisu, and many others.

Second:
In 2006, heavy rains fell in Iringa Region, and the Ipogoro area was flooded, with even the Ipogoro Bus Stand submerged. Mwanakwetu and several journalists went down to Ipogoro to report on the situation. The work was done well, but by the end of the day, transportation back to Iringa town was difficult. As a result, they began walking on foot, starting to climb the hill toward Iringa town, intending to go to the Municipal Director at the time, Ms. Teresia Mbano, who could provide information from the government’s side regarding solutions after the floods.

On the way, they saw a police Land Rover Defender approaching from a distance. Seeing journalists walking on foot with nothing, Blandina Semaganga said:

“That police Defender is coming. Brother Daudi Mwangosi, you know them well—signal to that Defender so we can get in.”

Daudi Mwangosi said, “These are our vehicles, let me do that,” and he signaled to the Defender. The police stopped and gave the journalists a ride to Central Police Station, where they got off and went to see Municipal Director Ms. Mbano. By then, Ms. Mbano had already been informed by Daudi Mwangosi about their presence, along with the Mayor of Iringa town at the time, the son of Said Abdallah Mwamwindi.

“We were received well in Ms. Mbano’s office, we interviewed her about how citizens of Ipogoro would be assisted. After we finished, Ms. Mbano gave each journalist present 30,000 shillings, and then we went to write the story.”

Third and last:
September 2, 2012—the day Daudi Mwangosi was killed.

On that day, Mwanakwetu was in Iringa Region, where his wife was completing her Master’s degree in Law at Ruaha University (Saint Augustine) in Iringa, with her graduation approaching. That day, Mwanakwetu did not leave their residence at TRM because it was raining in Iringa town. He decided instead to write an article about ward secondary schools for Kwanza Jamii newspaper, whose editor was Simon Mkina, formerly of ThisDay, Kulikoni, and Mawio.

That evening, Mwanakwetu was informed by journalist Greson Mgoi, one of the Kwanza Jamii journalists at the time, that Daudi Mwangosi had died during unrest.

So, dear reader, Mwanakwetu has only tried to recall these few things after hearing that Afande Michael Kamuhanda had passed away. Because we journalists—when the name Afande Michael Kamuhanda is mentioned—we remember our brother Daudi Mwangosi.

Mwanakwetu, are you there? Remember:

“When Michael Kamuhanda is mentioned, we remember Daudi Mwangosi.”

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