How wife’s testimony exposed husband’s killer before Tanzania High Court
The Tanzania High Court has sentenced Mwita Nyagabure to death for the 2024 murder of John Habi. The conviction was secured largely through the eyewitness testimony of the victim's wife, who saw the defendant stab her husband.
Why it matters
The case highlights the role of eyewitness testimony in the Tanzanian judicial system and the continued application of capital punishment in the region.
Arusha. It was an ordinary night for Ms Pili Paul. Still, within moments her life changed forever after she watched her husband, Mr John Habi, stabbed in the stomach before her eyes, before collapsing in a pool of blood, leaving her widowed and their young child without a father.
The High Court at Musoma Sub-registry convicted Mr Mwita Nyagabure. It sentenced him to death by hanging after finding the prosecution proved beyond reasonable doubt that he fatally stabbed Mr Habi in the stomach in his wife’s presence.
The incident occurred on the night of July 20, 2024, in Nyabichune Village, Tarime District, Mara Region.
The judgment was delivered on July 20, 2026, by Justice Edwin Kakolaki, who heard the murder case, with a copy later uploaded to the Judiciary website.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in