Dispute Over Chickens Leads to Manslaughter Conviction

Dispute Over Chickens Leads to Four-Year Prison Sentence

Dar es Salaam, February 28, 2025 – A 21-year-old man, Hamisi Jumanne, has been sentenced to four years in prison by the Dar es Salaam High Court after being found guilty of manslaughter in the killing of Alfred Raymond, also known as Mandela. The incident occurred following a dispute involving stolen chickens.

Jumanne, a livestock herder and vegetable farmer, was convicted for the death of Raymond, which resulted from a violent confrontation triggered by the theft of three chickens that Jumanne intended to sell. According to court details, when Raymond questioned Jumanne about the whereabouts of the stolen chickens, Jumanne reacted by grabbing a knife and stabbing Raymond multiple times, including in the neck, stomach, and lungs.

The altercation took place on August 4, 2022, in Makurunge, Kisarawe District. Initially charged with murder, Jumanne pleaded guilty to manslaughter when the case was brought to trial. The prosecution then amended the charge from murder to manslaughter, and the court proceeded accordingly.

The judge, Hamidu Mwanga, handed down the sentence after considering Jumanne's plea for a reduced sentence due to his young age and the time he had already spent in detention. Jumanne had served one year and six months in prison since his arrest. The court also took into account that Jumanne himself had sustained injuries during the altercation with Raymond.

According to the prosecution, Jumanne had no prior criminal record. They emphasized that the prescribed punishment for manslaughter under the law is a five-year prison sentence, but they did not oppose a reduction in the sentence due to the mitigating circumstances presented.

The case unfolded on the evening of August 4, 2022, when Jumanne stole three chickens from his employer's farm, intending to sell them. When Raymond confronted him, questioning where he was taking the birds, Jumanne became agitated. He then entered a nearby house, retrieved a knife, and attacked Raymond. Raymond was later taken to Kisarawe Hospital but succumbed to his injuries, which included fatal stab wounds to the heart, lungs, and intestines.

Jumanne was arrested days later on August 9, 2023, while recovering in hospital from injuries he had sustained during the altercation. Following the trial, the judge emphasized the need for the sentence to serve as a deterrent.