A nursing officer at Same District Hospital was allegedly killed by having her throat cut by her partner in a suspected romantic jealousy attack, police and local authorities said on Tuesday. The killing occurred just 24 hours after the release of a major human rights report warning that intimate partner violence had reached crisis levels.
Asha Bakari, 25, a volunteer nurse at the hospital, was attacked at her home in Kisima Ward at around 9:00 PM on Monday, April 20, 2026. Same District Commissioner Kasilda Mgeni confirmed the details of the incident.
The killing came one day after the Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC) launched its Tanzania Human Rights Report 2025 on April 20. The report found that the overall human rights situation significantly deteriorated last year, with violence against women and girls among the most persistently reported violations.
Speaking to Mwananchi newspaper, Mgeni confirmed that Bakari had received a phone call from the suspect, a boda boda driver, asking to meet. He then arrived at her home and fatally stabbed her in the neck.
“A staff member of Same District Hospital was killed by being stabbed with a knife by her partner in the residential area near the hospital where she worked,” Mgeni told the paper.
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According to the district commissioner, the victim had been involved with two men. One had supported her education until she secured employment, while the other was a hospital staff member with whom she reportedly began a relationship more recently.
“It is alleged that after she started working, she began another relationship with a hospital staff member, which angered the suspect and led to this violent incident,” Mgeni said, citing a report from police in Same.
The suspect fled to an unknown location following the murder. “We have already identified him by name and occupation,” Mgeni added. “The police are continuing to search for him; once found, he will be brought to justice.”
Main victims
The LHRC report, which assessed human rights from January to December 2025, documented 268 incidents of violence against women through its monitoring programmes. Of 25 intimate partner violence (IPV) cases recorded, 18 (72 per cent) resulted in intimate partner homicide (IPH), defined as the killing of a spouse, ex-spouse, boyfriend or girlfriend.
Women constituted the majority of victims at 72 per cent, while men accounted for most alleged perpetrators. Jealousy-related conflict was the most frequently cited trigger, followed by financial disputes and separation issues.
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The report found that IPH incidents were recorded across 11 regions, confirming a nationwide structural concern rather than isolated incidents. In terms of methods used, knife or stabbing incidents accounted for 33.3 per cent of cases, while panga (machete) attacks and blunt object assaults each accounted for 11.1 per cent.
Official police crime statistics for 2024, cited in the LHRC report, recorded 22,705 gender-based violence (GBV) incidents nationally. The most frequently reported offences included common assault, assault causing bodily harm, injury, abusive language, and indecent assault.
The report also highlighted technology-facilitated GBV as an emerging concern, with 453 reported cases of cyberbullying in 2024. Online platforms are increasingly used to harass, threaten or humiliate women.
LHRC emphasised that underreporting remains a major challenge, particularly in rural areas and in IPV cases. This is due to fear of retaliation, economic dependence, social stigma, and community pressure discouraging survivors from pursuing legal remedies.
“IPV presents a serious threat to the right to life, right to health, right to liberty and personal security, and freedom from violence,” the LHRC report stated. “The victims of these incidents are mostly women and girls who are more vulnerable compared to men.”
Actions required
The centre called on all stakeholders to develop strategies to enhance the protection of women from IPV, including awareness-raising campaigns. It specifically urged the enactment of an anti-GBV or domestic violence law to enhance protection for survivors.
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“This will be a crucial step towards domesticating the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (Maputo Protocol) of 2003,” the report added.
The LHRC report also documented 1,228 GBV and violence against children cases in Zanzibar in 2025, with rape accounting for 53.7 per cent of all cases. Only 7.7 per cent of cases resulted in convictions, reflecting serious gaps in investigation and prosecution.
Police investigations into the Same District killing are ongoing. Authorities have urged anyone with information on the suspect’s whereabouts to come forward.
