Tanzania cancels independence celebration, redirects budget to children with special needs

Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan has cancelled this year’s Independence Day celebrations.

The celebration was scheduled scheduled for Friday December 9, 2022.

The president directed that the budget instead be used to build dormitories for children with special needs.

The 61st Independence Day event was to cost $445,000, money that will be used to build eight dormitories in primary schools around the country.

Tanzania’s Minister of State, George Simbachawene, on Monday said the money had been disbursed.

He said that instead of having parades and other national celebrations, the East African country will commemorate Independence Day by having public dialogues on development.

“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,” he said.

Usually, Independence Day celebrations are marked with pomp and state banquets.

This is not, however, the first time Tanzania has cancelled the celebrations.

In 2015, then-President John Magufuli cancelled celebrations and diverted funds towards the building of a road in the commercial capital, Dar es Salaam.

In 2020, he did the same and directed that the budget be used to buy medical facilities.

The current president, Hassan, is Tanzania’s first female head of state.