Two Youths Missing in Dar es Salaam for 70+ Days

Families Desperate as Two Young Men Missing for Over 70 Days

Sunday, April 6, 2025 – Dar es Salaam

Authorities in Dar es Salaam are investigating the mysterious disappearances of two young men—Gwakisa Hobokela, 27, of Tabata Kisiwani and Kelvin Montana Mushi, 19, of Mbezi Luis—who vanished over 70 days ago in unrelated incidents. Their families remain in distress as efforts to trace their whereabouts have so far yielded no results.

According to reports, Kelvin disappeared on January 24, 2025, while Gwakisa went missing on the night of January 26, under circumstances that have since raised numerous questions and concerns among their loved ones.

The Disappearance of Kelvin Mushi

Kelvin’s mother, Regina Merchiory, stated that her son left home for school on the morning of January 24 but never returned. That night, after failing to hear from him, she contacted a teacher who mentioned there had been a celebration at school that may have delayed students. However, by the following morning, with no sign of her son, she decided to visit the school to begin a direct search.

Kelvin was reportedly a repeat candidate for the national Form Four exams at Brothers Academy, located in Ukonga. However, the school's director, Robert Lwezaura, refuted his enrollment, explaining that Kelvin had not completed the registration process before the February 28 deadline and had not paid the required monthly tuition fees.

“This is an open school for independent candidates of various age groups. We don’t monitor class attendance, and as far as our records show, Kelvin was not officially registered with us,” said Lwezaura.

When contacted by police, Lwezaura acknowledged hearing of Kelvin’s disappearance but stated the student had not gone missing from the school premises. He recounted that a fellow student had discovered Kelvin’s school bag in a classroom, which was later taken to the hostel.

Further complicating the situation, Lwezaura noted that Regina had visited the school earlier and expressed frustration, demanding that staff reveal her son’s whereabouts and even threatened to shut down the institution. He added that she had previously informed a teacher of an earlier incident involving her son disappearing before attempting to enroll at Brothers Academy—information she did not repeat after the latest disappearance.

Regina claims she followed up again with the school on February 4, only to be told about the discovery of her son’s bag days after her initial inquiry. She reported the incident to Ukonga's administrative office and later filed a missing persons report at Stakishari Police Station.

According to one of the investigating officers at Stakishari, police questioned three students. One stated he saw Kelvin on January 24 leaving class to buy an energy drink, another said he found Kelvin’s bag and brought it to the hostel, while the third claimed not to have seen him for over three months.

The officer confirmed that Regina officially filed the case and that investigations are ongoing. He suggested that Kelvin may have voluntarily taken a different route home, as some students confirmed seeing him leave school that day.

The Disappearance of Gwakisa Hobokela

Meanwhile, in a separate case, Gwakisa Hobokela was last seen on the evening of January 26, 2025, when he told his family he was stepping out for a short walk at around 9:30 p.m. He never returned.

His elder brother, Uswege Hobokela, said that after hours passed with no sign of Gwakisa, the family checked with neighbors, but no one had seen him. They subsequently filed a report at Tabata Police Station.

Despite their continued search—including visits to major hospitals such as Muhimbili National Hospital, Amana Regional Referral Hospital, and Mwananyamala—the family has found no trace of him.

“It’s now been 70 days since he disappeared, and we still have no answers,” Uswege lamented.

Police Response and Ongoing Investigations

Addressing the incidents, Dar es Salaam’s Special Zone Police Commander, Jumanne Muliro, emphasized the need for thorough and careful investigations in missing persons cases. He cautioned against rushing inquiries to satisfy public pressure, which could lead to wrongful accusations.

“People go missing for various reasons, and each case demands careful scrutiny. We've handled more than 37 such cases, and some were linked to personal vendettas where individuals were abducted by those they had wronged,” said Muliro.

He added that in some cases, disappearances have been attributed to spiritual beliefs or deception by individuals posing as security officers.

“There are instances where people vanish under the guise of law enforcement involvement, only for it to emerge later that traditional beliefs were involved. Often, the truth comes out once these individuals are found,” he explained.

Muliro assured the public that all reported incidents are being investigated diligently to ensure the safety of citizens and their property.