A resident of Mwanga village in Biharamulo District, Kagera Region, Emmanuel Barakanfitye, popularly known as Rais (52), has been sentenced to death by hanging in the Bukoba High Court after being found guilty of murdering his biological mother, Mariana Matabaro.
The public prosecutors in this case were Matrida Assey and Gloria Lugeye.
Speaking to journalists at her office in Bukoba town, Prosecutor Matrida Assey stated that the verdict was delivered on May 30, 2025, after the court was satisfied with the evidence presented by the prosecution, leaving no doubt, and thus found the accused guilty and sentenced him to death by hanging.
She explained that the murder of Mariana Matabaro (75) occurred on May 13, 2020, when she was killed by her son, Emmanuel, in collaboration with the second accused, Jackson Emmanuel (21), who was the grandson of the deceased. At the time of the incident, Jackson was 16 years old.
Commenting on the incident, Assey cited a land dispute as the primary reason for the killing.
She added that witnesses, who are also the two children of the deceased Mambo Barakanfitye and George Barakanfitye residing about 10 meters from the deceased's home, heard loud noises while sitting outside around 2:00 am and saw the mother calling for help, shouting "Help me, help me."
When they looked out, they saw their mother running from inside her house toward her children’s homes.
"Assey explained, during the chaos, the children saw their brother Emmanuel with his child Jackson and another person they did not recognize hiding as they chased the deceased.
"When they looked closer, Mambo was about to go and help his mother, but before he could, he saw Emmanuel holding a panga (machete) and cutting his mother's head. Meanwhile, Mambo's younger brother George was present," she said.
"As Mambo was about to assist his mother, the second accused, Jackson, picked up a stone and struck Mambo in the chest and hand, causing him to fall to the ground and be unable to help the deceased. George, seeing that Mambo had been struck and that the others were armed, was scared and ran away, shouting for help," Assey added.
She stated that while Mambo lay on the ground, he saw his mother being attacked with pangas and bleeding heavily, and the killers later returned to ensure she had died. George, who had run away, called the chairman of Karundi A ward, Petro Bukuku, to request assistance.
After receiving the report, the chairman came to the scene and contacted the Biharamulo police station, where residents continued to guard the body while others went in search of the killers.
She further explained that when they visited Emmanuel's wife, she said Emmanuel had arrived home feeling uneasy and left. When they went to Emmanuel’s older wife to ask about Jackson, she said he was not at home and had already left.
Additionally, after the suspects were arrested and taken to court, Emmanuel was found guilty and sentenced to death by hanging.
Jackson, who was a minor at the time of the incident, will remain in prison until he is released through a presidential pardon.
The case was presided over by the High Court Judge in Bukoba, Lilian Itemba.
