Arumeru. Prime Minister Dr Mwigulu Nchemba has urged Tanzanians to safeguard national peace and reject individuals who incite violence, sow division and destroy public infrastructure, including facilities built through citizens’ own contributions.
Speaking on Sunday, November 30, 2025, during an address to residents of Kikatiti Ward, Dr Nchemba warned that choosing unrest is equivalent to choosing deeper poverty. He had earlier inspected the Kikatiti Police Station, one of the facilities vandalised during the October 29 unrest that also targeted police posts, fuel stations and a primary court.
He said Tanzania’s progress depends on peace, stressing that no development is possible in an unstable environment.
“If we choose to chase away peace, we must know we are choosing to chase away development,” he said. “Some people think development belongs to the Government, but development belongs to individuals. By choosing violence, we are choosing to increase poverty in our country.”
Dr Nchemba noted that although Tanzania has made significant strides in reducing poverty since independence, violent unrest could quickly undo these gains.
“When the country gained independence, over 80 percent of the population lived in extreme poverty. Today that figure is eight percent, while 26 percent remain income-poor. If we choose violence, because destruction is very easy, soon half the country will sink into extreme poverty,” he said.
He called on young people and citizens to refuse manipulation by those who profit from chaos.
“We were incited and turned against each other, yet those who incited us were nowhere near danger. They did not lose a single friend or relative,” he said. “Activists and some political figures call for protests, but they are paid for it. We kill each other; they get the money.”
Dr Nchemba alleged that during the October unrest, a young man received two million US dollars, about Sh5 billion, after working for certain activists. He said foreign interests ultimately benefit when Tanzanians are divided.
“Those paying for chaos want to take our minerals, including uranium and gas. They know they cannot get these resources if Tanzanians remain united,” he said.
He urged communities to reject actions that leave lasting wounds and undermine unity.
“This country does not belong to the Government or political parties. It belongs to you, Tanzanians,” he stressed.
Citing the vandalised police station, which residents built using their own funds and which was inaugurated during the 2003 Uhuru Torch race, he said those who destroy community property undermine their own development.
“The money that will repair this damage could have funded other services,” he noted.
Arusha Regional Commissioner, Mr Amos Makalla said Arumeru and Arusha districts were among the hardest hit by the October 29 unrest. During his tour, Dr Nchemba also visited a damaged fuel station and the Maji ya Chai Primary Court.
Makalla added that security committees worked around the clock on the day of the unrest to safeguard the tourism sector, ensuring no tourist was harmed, allowing the flow of visitors to Arusha to continue uninterrupted.
