Iringa man arrested over son's murder, remains discovered

Iringa. Police in Iringa Region are holding Joseph Yustino Muhulila, 28, a resident of Lukosi Street in Iringa Municipality, on suspicion of killing his six-year-old son, Timotheo Joseph Muhulila and dumping the remains in a latrine pit.

The incident, which has sent shockwaves in the neighborhood, occurred on the night of April 12, 2025, at Lukosi Street.

The boy, a pupil at Lightness Day Care, tragically lost his life in what is being described as an act of brutality at the hands of his father.

Speaking to journalists at the scene of crime, Iringa Regional Police Commander, SACP Allan Bukumbi, said that the suspect initially reported his child missing under suspicious circumstances at the Iringa Central Police Station. However, inconsistencies in his account raised officers’ suspicions, prompting a deeper investigation.

“Following his report, we detained him for further questioning.

On May 6, 2025, at around 7:30am, our investigation team received key information and conducted a more thorough interrogation with the suspect. He eventually confessed to killing his son and disposing of the body parts in the latrine pit,” said SACP Bukumbi.

Preliminary investigations reveal that on March 28, 2025, Joseph visited the boy’s mother (from whom he is separated) to take Timotheo for a visit. They stayed together until April 11, when he reportedly left the child at his house for the night and went to sleep at the mother’s place.

“According to the suspect, he claims the child was electrocuted while alone in the house, and when he returned the morning of 12 April, he found the child dead. Instead of informing authorities or the family, he decided to dismember the body and dispose of it in the toilet pit,” Commander Bukumbi said.

In a joint operation involving the Police Force, Fire and Rescue Force, and residents of the area, the remains of the child were recovered in a decomposed state due to the time they had been submerged.

Commander Bukumbi said the motive behind the incident remains unclear,adding that  investigations are still ongoing to determine whether psychological issues, family disputes, or other factors were involved. He said that once investigations are complete, the suspect will be arraigned to face murder charges.

In an emotional statement, Kennedy Mahona, the Chairperson of Lukosi Street, said Joseph had visited his home to report the child missing but never returned to provide an update, nor was he seen again until the incident was uncovered.

“I advised him to go to the police if he couldn’t find his son. But he never came back or provided any further information. Today, I was called and informed that police were digging up the toilet at his home, where the child’s remains were found,” Mahona said.

Maxillian Martin Lukwego, the landlord where of the house where Joseph had a tenant for the past three years, described him as a good tenant who worked as a motorcycle taxi (bodaboda) operator. He said he had no reason to suspect him until police unexpectedly arrived for the shocking investigation.

Assistant Inspector of the Fire and Rescue Force, MelkSedeck Banzi, stated that some pieces of flesh had been retrieved, although it has not yet been conclusively confirmed whether they are human remains.