TANZANIA: COURT OF APPEAL UPHOLDS DEATH SENTENCE FOR CARPENTER IN LOVER’S MURDER CASE

The Court of Appeal in Arusha, Tanzania, on April 10, 2026, dismissed the appeal of Alex Julius, upholding the death sentence previously handed down by the High Court.
Julius, a carpenter by profession, was found guilty of the murder of his partner, Kudura Hamis, whose body was discovered in a state of decomposition on September 18, 2020, in her room in the NHC Magadini area, Monduli District, Arusha Region.
The discovery followed reports from neighbors regarding a foul smell emanating from the residence.
Despite the appeal challenging the circumstantial evidence, the judges (Lugano Mwandambo, Abraham Mwampashi, and Lameck Mlacha) ruled that the prosecution's evidence proved guilt beyond a reasonable doubt and that there were no legal flaws in the original trial.
In Tanzania, although the death penalty is prescribed by the Penal Code for the crime of murder, the country has not carried out an execution since 1994, effectively maintaining a moratorium on executions.