Prime
Home Affairs minister warns foreign agitators: “No room for enemies of peace in Tanzania”
Minister for Home Affairs Innocent Bashungwa
What you need to know:
- Presenting his ministry’s 2025/26 budget estimates in Parliament, Mr Bashungwa acknowledged the government’s ongoing efforts to attract foreign visitors for reasons such as investment and tourism, but noted with concern that a small number of individuals or groups had emerged with hidden agendas.
Dodoma. Minister for Home Affairs Innocent Bashungwa on Monday 26, 2025 issued a stern warning to foreigners attempting to enter Tanzania with the intention of disrupting national peace and stability, saying they would be dealt with in accordance with the law.
Presenting his ministry’s 2025/26 budget estimates in Parliament, Mr Bashungwa acknowledged the government’s ongoing efforts to attract foreign visitors for reasons such as investment and tourism, but noted with concern that a small number of individuals or groups had emerged with hidden agendas.
“There is no space in our country for ill-intentioned foreigners. I commend the Immigration Department for working closely with security and defence forces in controlling the entry of such individuals—particularly those who, having obtained legitimate permits, go on to engage in activities contrary to the conditions under which they were allowed in,” he said.
The minister's remarks come in the wake of heightened debate over foreign involvement in Tanzania’s domestic affairs, following the recent deportation of prominent Kenyan activists who had sought to attend a court session involving opposition leader Tundu Lissu.
Mr Bashungwa urged Tanzanians to remain united and vigilant in protecting the nation against both internal and external threats. He emphasised that, in the 21st century, enemies of the state do not always take the form of traditional military invaders.
“The enemy of any country today—including our own—does not necessarily arrive in tanks. They may instead operate through networks of activists with disruptive agendas, as we have seen in recent weeks,” he said.
The minister stressed that the government would not tolerate any attempts to destabilise the country and that security agencies would continue to take appropriate legal measures to preserve peace.
“My fellow Tanzanians, we will not allow ourselves to be destabilised. We will continue to act firmly and within the law to protect the peace and stability of our nation,” he said.
