Unscrupulous individuals steal coffin, abandon it in Hai
Residents of a village in the Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania were left confused after a coffin was stolen from a local shop and abandoned by the roadside. Local authorities confirmed the incident was unprecedented, noting that there were no funerals in the area that would necessitate such an act.
Why it matters
The bizarre nature of the crime has caused local distress and highlights unusual security concerns in a small community.
Moshi. Residents of Masama Mbweera Village in Hai District, Kilimanjaro Region, have been left puzzled after unknown people allegedly stole a coffin from a local shop and abandoned it by the roadside.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday, August 30, 2026, in Masama East Ward.
The suspects reportedly took the coffin from a shop while the owner was away before abandoning it along the Masama road and fleeing.
Masama Mbweera Village chairman Ismail Mushi confirmed the incident, describing it as the first of its kind in the area despite the long-standing coffin business in the village.
“This has never happened in this village. We have been selling coffins for a long time, but we have never experienced anything like this. It is both sad and surprising. I do not understand where these people intended to take the coffin,” he said.
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