Dar es Salaam, Tanzania— Tanzania’s president, Samia Suluhu Hassan, has canceled Independence Day celebrations scheduled for Friday and 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 the East African country will celebrate Independence Day by having public dialogues on development.
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. Currently, only Tanzania and Ethiopia have female heads of state, though the role in Ethiopia is largely ceremonial.