The Ministry of Home Affairs announced yesterday July 28, 2024, a five-point strategy in response to the recent reports on child kidnapping and disappearance across the country.
The strategy involves cross-ministries initiatives to raise awareness on child protection which will involve the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Constitution, the Ministry of Community Development, the President’s Office, Regional Administration, and Local Government (PO-RALG). Also, the Police will increase the intensity of patrol in various areas, and priorities will be given to any tips to the authorities regarding child protection.
Moreover, the Police will increase the pace of the investigation of the cases, as well as cases around child abuse will be fast-tracked in the justice system. This was revealed yesterday by the Press organized by the Ministry of Home Affairs regarding the incidents which have continued to dominate Tanzania’s airwave.
“Recently, various incidents have been reported in the media and on social networks regarding various allegations, including criminal acts associated with disappearances and kidnappings, especially of young children,” said Hamad Masauni, the Minister of Home Affairs.
He added: “Reports indicate that some of these children are subjected to cruel acts and even end up being killed. These incidents have caused great alarm among citizens in some regions, including Dodoma, Dar es Salaam, Arusha, and Kagera. The government, led by Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan, does not agree with and will not tolerate such criminal acts committed against some of our children.”
Masauni went on to explain in some of the cases criminals have already been apprehended but warned that there is also an increase of misinformation and in some cases old reports are recycled just to cause panic.
READ MORE: Panic Strikes Tanzanian Parents As Reports of Missing Children Soar
The Chanzo has documented at least ten reported incidents of missing children across the country aged between two and fourteen between June and July, many of them concern primary school students who went missing in what their parents and guardians describe as mysterious ways.
Of the ten incidents, The Chanzo found that only in one case did the family locate its child, and the fate of the remaining children remained uncertain. The frequency of the reports on missing children, primarily online, has created such fear among parents and guardians that it has driven them to behave in very extraordinary ways.
On July 17, 2024, for example, parents and guardians in Mbande, Temeke, stormed the Mbande Primary School after reports emerged that blooded uniforms of six-year-old Malick Hashim, who had reportedly gone missing, were found at the school premises, a claim police later said was false.
On July 20, 2024, while speaking to cultural and traditional leaders, President Samia Suluhu called for community participation in ensuring the incidents of kidnappings are stopped. She called for the community to debunk the myth that the incidents are related to the upcoming election.
“Another thing go and raise awareness, for now when you question these incidents [of kidanapping] people say it’s because of the election, people want to be elected. Go and tell the politicians, if the assertion is true, you are the traditional leaders you know these things, tell the politicians that they cannot get political positions that way,” said President Samia.
