Tanzania's President Suluhu cancels Independence Day celebrations, diverts Ksh.50M budget allocation

Tanzania's President Samia Suluhu has called off this year's Independence Day celebrations that were initially slated for Friday next week.

The Head of State issued the order on Monday as she directed that the Tsh.960 million (about Ksh.50.5 million) budget allocation for the event be used to construct dormitories for children with special needs instead.

According to Tanzanian news outlet ‘The Citizen, the çountry’s Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (Policy, Coordination, and Parliamentary Affairs) George Simbachawene said that the government would channel the funds to the said institutions through the President's Office of  Regional Administration and Local Government (PO-RALG).

Being the country’s 61st anniversary since gaining independence from Britain in 1961, the minister said debates and conferences on social development would be held in all the districts as a replacement for the annual celebrations.

"The debates and conferences will be preceded by various schedules for regional and district leaders to carry out social activities in different areas including cleaning hospitals, schools, elderly homes and groups with special needs. This year’s celebrations will not have parades and other national activities," he said.

The schools set to benefit from the Ksh.50 million funding include Buhangija in Shinyanga, Goeko (Tabora), Darajani (Singida), Mtanga (Lindi), Songambele (Manyara), Msanzi (Rukwa), Idofi (Njombe), and Longido (Arusha).

The directive by President Suluhu follows similar pronunciations by her predecessor, late President John Magufuli, who scrapped the Day celebrations for other national development activities on two occasions.

In 2015 and 2020, Magufuli cancelled the national celebrations and channelled the funds to build the Mwenge-Morocco Road in Dar es Salaam and buy medical facilities respectively.