Tanzania President Samia Suluhu Hassan cancels 61st Independence Day celebrations due December 9.
Samia directed that the Tsh960 million (about Shs1.7 billion) budget for the event be used to build dormitories for children with special needs.
The funds will be channeled to the schools through the President’s Office – Regional Administration and Local Government (PO-RALG).
This is not the first time a Tanzanian head of state cancels Independence Day celebrations.
In 2015, Samia’s predecessor, the late John Magufuli cancelled Tanzania’s Independence Day celebrations directing that the funds budgeted for the event be channeled to build (Mwenge-Morocco) Road in Dar es Salaam.
In 2020, he did the same and directed that the funds earmarked for the event be used to buy medical facilities.