Tabora. Fifteen suspects have been arraigned over the alleged killing of six people, including a wildlife officer, and the injuring of five others at Iswagala Wildlife Reserve in Sikonge District, Tabora Region.
Speaking to journalists at his office on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, Tabora Regional Police Commander Twaha Lulengelule said the killings occurred after a group of people, allegedly from a pastoralist community, raided a patrol officers’ camp at the reserve in Itimile Village.
‘The group, believed to be members of a pastoralist community, attacked the officers’ camp with the intention of recovering their livestock, which had been seized after being found grazing inside the reserve. They used traditional weapons to carry out the killings,’ the commander said.
Mr Lulengelule said six people were killed in the attack, including a wildlife officer, a Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority (Tawa) officer, a driver, a civilian and two Village Game Scouts (VGS).
Five others were injured when the camp was raided at around midnight.
He said the incident followed an operation to seize livestock found grazing inside the reserve.
The group allegedly attacked the camp at night in an attempt to recover the impounded animals.
The operation involved Tawa officers, personnel from the ADAP organisation, members of the Ipole Wildlife Management Area (WMA), Village Game Scouts and employees of Sikonge District Council.
‘After entering the reserve, the group began attacking the officers using traditional weapons in an attempt to recover their livestock,’ he said.
Those killed were identified as Daniel Mshama, 35, and Charles Msabaha, 36, both village game scouts; Gift Eliaika, 34, a Tawa officer; Praygod Lyalo, 38, a wildlife officer; James Maganga, 35, a resident of Ipole; and a driver, Mathew Damas, 35.
The injured were identified as Endru Charles, 35; Gerald Malongo, 34; Wilgence Eljohn, 33; and Vita Mengo, 26, all village game scouts; and a Tawa officer, Joseph Mwaipola, 43.
The Tabora Regional Police Force urged members of the public not to take the law into their own hands and to respect laws, regulations and procedures, particularly those governing protected areas.
Commenting on the incident, a Tabora resident, Ms Hawa Juma, said the killings should serve as a lesson to all parties that no one is above the law.
‘Often, when conservation officers are injured, we witness swift arrests and strong action. However, when pastoralists are harmed, the situation is usually met with silence,’ she said.
Another resident, Mr Mahamudi Majidi, said that if the suspects were found guilty, the court should impose severe penalties to discourage others from taking the law into their own hands and harming fellow citizens.
‘If they were sentenced to death by hanging, it would be appropriate because you cannot simply fire a gun or use your muzzleloader to kill another person as if they were an animal. This is unacceptable. Human life is not something to be treated as an experiment,’ he said.