Grief gripped mourners at Mount Meru Hospital on Tuesday midday as Arusha residents gathered to pay their last respects to Richard Yesaya Kitwika, 80, who died after being struck by a speeding vehicle along Njiro – Usa bypass on October 25, 2026.
People of all ages stood in disbelief. Some had seen or spoken to him only hours, days or weeks before his death, making his sudden passing even harder to comprehend.
Kitwika was returning home after an evening stroll and some grocery shopping when the vehicle struck him. The driver fled the scene. It has been learnt that Police are using CCTV footage to trace the vehicle and its driver.
For those gathered to bid him farewell, Arusha had lost more than a familiar face. It had lost a friend, a brother and a comrade whose companionship would be deeply missed.
He is survived by six children — four daughters and two sons. His wife passed away in 2013.
