Mkuu — PRIME Minister Mwigulu Nchemba has successfully resolved a 51-year land dispute between Mtimhoo Parish of the Roman Catholic Church in the Diocese of Moshi and Mr Peter Morisi of Msaranga Village in Rombo District, Kilimanjaro Region.

According to information from the Prime Minister's Office today, May 21, 2026, the dispute, which had persisted for more than five decades, was brought to the Prime Minister's attention during a public rally held at the Rombo District Council grounds during his working visit to Kilimanjaro Region on February 17, 2026, where he directed the government to dispatch a team of experts to investigate and resolve the matter.

Following his directive, a team of specialists from the Prime Minister's Office visited Kilimanjaro Region and worked jointly with regional authorities and leaders from Msaranga Village to assess the disputed land.

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The statement added that the team also held meetings with the affected family, village leaders, officials from Mtimhoo Parish, and representatives of the Catholic Diocese of Moshi, where all parties agreed that reconciliation was the most appropriate way to resolve the long-standing conflict.

In his complaint, Mr Morisi alleged that his land had been forcefully taken by the Catholic Church and that the compensation he received was insufficient compared to the size of the land acquired and that the unresolved dispute forced him to escalate the matter to the Prime Minister during the public engagement.

After reviewing all submitted documents, the government-appointed team established that Mr Morisi was compensated a total of 3,935.50/- on April 16, 1980. It was also confirmed that he was allocated an alternative plot in Kirachi Sub-village within Msaranga Village to allow for the construction of a school and church on the original land.