Government Urges Communities to Report Inheritance Cases Involving Vulnerable Groups

Dodoma – The government has called upon communities with children under 18 years of age and other vulnerable groups facing inheritance-related challenges to report such cases to the Registration, Insolvency and Trusteeship Agency (Rita) to obtain legal guidance and protection of their fundamental rights.

Deputy Minister for Constitutional and Legal Affairs, Ms Zainabu Katimba, made the call on Tuesday, December 23, 2025, in Dodoma.

She was speaking on behalf of the docket’s Minister, Dr Juma Homera, during a ceremony to introduce Ms Anna Zambi, who received legal assistance through Rita’s public trusteeship services.

Ms Katimba said many citizens in need of legal support on inheritance matters remain unreached due to limited awareness of where such services can be accessed, resulting in the loss of their fundamental rights.

"Communities, particularly children under the age of 18, continue to face numerous challenges that lead to the loss of their legal right to own and inherit their parents’ property after death," she said.

She noted that such challenges are often caused by greedy family members who use force or manipulation to unlawfully seize property from rightful heirs, especially children, an act that is against the law.

Citing Ms Zambi’s case, Ms Katimba said the legal support she received from Rita through a court order reflects the reality faced by many young people in society.

"The assistance provided to Ms Anna demonstrates the commitment of the Sixth Phase government under President Samia Suluhu Hassan to ensure beneficiaries of public trusteeship services are protected and receive their lawful entitlements through Rita," she said.

She added that children, people with disabilities, individuals with mental health conditions, and other vulnerable groups continue to lose their rights due to a lack of awareness about where to obtain proper legal assistance in managing inherited property.

The Deputy Minister therefore called for enhanced public education on public trusteeship services to prevent inheritance-related disputes within communities.

"It is time for communities to take action against the unlawful grabbing of heirs’ property by making use of the services offered by Rita, as seen in Ms Zambi’s case," she said.

Enhanced Public Awareness Programme Directed

In another development, Ms Katimba directed Public Trustees to implement a comprehensive public awareness programme in collaboration with stakeholders to strengthen the delivery of public trusteeship services nationwide.

"The Public Trustee must continue to strengthen cooperation with stakeholders to ensure citizens receive justice promptly," she said.

She also called for the establishment of a special mechanism to enable citizens and stakeholders to report property that should be managed under the Public Trustee in accordance with the Public Trustee (Powers and Duties) Act, Chapter 31.

Rita Chief Executive Officer, Mr Frank Kanyusi, said the agency, in addition to its other functions, implements public trusteeship responsibilities under the Public Trustee (Powers and Duties) Act, Chapter 31, under which the Chief Administrator of Estates serves as the Public Trustee.

He said the law recognises the Public Trustee as a legal entity with the capacity to sue or be sued in the best interests of beneficiaries.

Mr Kanyusi said Rita faces several challenges in delivering public trusteeship services, including low public awareness, failure by some citizens to report property that should fall under public trusteeship, and cases where institutions continue to manage property that should legally be handled by the Public Trustee.

He said the agency is intensifying public awareness campaigns and strengthening stakeholder collaboration to address these challenges.

For her part, Ms Zambi, a beneficiary of public trusteeship services and a Bachelor of Laws graduate, thanked Rita for the legal support she received after facing inheritance-related challenges.

She said the legal knowledge she has gained will enable her to guide others facing similar difficulties on how to access public trusteeship services to safeguard their fundamental rights.