In a surprise move, Tanzania’s Prime Minister, Mwigulu Nchemba, announced that the country’s annual Tanganyika Independence Day celebrations, scheduled for December 9, 2025, will not take place. The decision comes as a shock to many Tanzanians, who have been observing this significant day since 1961, marking the country’s independence from colonial rule.

However, the cancellation of the celebrations is not the only story making headlines in Tanzania. The country is still reeling from a highly disputed presidential election, where President Samia Suluhu Hassan won with a landslide 98% of the vote. The opposition has been vocal in their allegations of widespread irregularities, torture, enforced disappearance, violence, and other forms of human rights violations in the country.

The opposition says over 2,000 people were killed by police during the election unrest, where up to now several families are yet to get the bodies of their loved ones, while others are unaccounted for.

The cancellation of Independence Day also comes days after a section of the population, mainly from the opposition, announced that they will stage a “mother of all demonstrations” on the same day during the celebration.

The opposition insists that there were no elections in Tanzania and demands that President Samia Suluhu step down.