Tanzania has announced the cancellation of next month’s Independence Day celebrations, with the allocated funds redirected toward rebuilding infrastructure damaged during recent election-related unrest, Prime Minister Mwigulu Nchemba confirmed.
The decision comes amid calls from opposition groups and civil society for demonstrations on Independence Day, Tuesday, December 9, 2025, to protest the deaths that occurred following last month’s disputed election. While the opposition claims that hundreds of people were killed in the post-election crackdown, the government has yet to provide an official death toll and has established a commission of inquiry to investigate the incidents.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan won the election with 98% of the vote, a result the opposition describes as a “mockery of democracy.” Several key opponents were barred from contesting: Tundu Lissu remains detained on treason charges, which he denies, while Luhaga Mpina’s candidacy was disqualified on technical grounds. Observers have noted irregularities and reported that the election fell short of democratic standards.
Following the vote, the government imposed a five-day internet blackout and warned against sharing protest imagery. Despite this, videos and photographs of casualties have circulated online, with some independently verified by international media. The government, however, criticized the portrayal of these images, arguing they were intended to damage Tanzania’s international image.
Government spokesman Gerson Msigwa emphasized that the commission of inquiry will clarify the events, though questions about its independence persist. At least 240 individuals were charged with treason in the aftermath, but President Suluhu later urged leniency, and many have reportedly been released.
During the announcement of the Independence Day cancellation, Prime Minister Nchemba appealed for calm and political dialogue. “I urge my fellow Tanzanians to come together and discuss the issues affecting us. Let us not return to what we went through, because the consequences are irreparable,” he stated.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan assumed office in 2021 as Tanzania’s first female president, following the death of John Magufuli. While initially praised for easing political repression, the country’s political space has since tightened.
