Magufuli directs funds for Independence Day to be spent on hospital construction

President John Magufuli

What you need to know:

This year’s Independence Day celebrations will involve doing social activities instead of the usual pomp and pageantry.

Dar es Salaam. Funds that were to be used for this year’s Independence Day celebrations will be spent on building Uhuru Hospital in Dodoma, President John Magufuli has directed.

A statement issued on Tuesday, November 20, 2018, by Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa said President Magufuli ordered Sh995.182 million allocated to Independence commemoration to be used on constructing the hospital.

The statement also showed that Dr Magufuli directed regional and district leaders to mark Independence Day by doing activities such as sweeping streets or hospitals.

The Prime Minister requested citizens to prepare themselves for various social activities planned by regional and district leaders.

On December 9, 1961, Tanganyika, which merged with Zanzibar on April 26, 1964 to form Tanzania, got its independence from Britain.

In 2015, President Magufuli marked the Independence anniversary by a joining a clean-up event outside State House in Dar es Salaam.