Tanzanian Prime Minister Mwigulu Nchemba said that the funds that were to be used for the celebrations scheduled for December 9, 2025, will instead be allocated to repairing infrastructure damaged during last month’s protests.

The announcement comes as opposition groups had been urging citizens to attend the Independence Day events to show their dissatisfaction with the killings that occurred after the disputed national election held on October 29 this year, in which President Samia Suluhu Hassan won with 98% of the vote.

Opposition leaders suspect that many people were killed during the protests, although the government has not released any casualty figures. However, it stated that a commission has been established to investigate the matter, despite opposition concerns over the commission’s independence.

On November 24, 2025, the Prime Minister cautioned Tanzanians to avoid violence and to participate in political dialogue, warning that failure to do so could have serious consequences.