Speaking to Dar es Salaam elders, President Hassan said the country will not be intimidated by the limited foreign aid it receives from certain parties.
Dar es Salaam. Tanzania will not be lectured by foreign actors on how to manage its domestic affairs, President Samia Suluhu Hassan declared on Tuesday.
Speaking to Dar es Salaam elders, President Hassan said the country will not be intimidated by the limited foreign aid it receives from certain parties.
She expressed concern that, since the general election, some external parties have been issuing directives to Tanzania on how to run its affairs.
“They say Tanzania should do this and that. Who are you? Do you think you are our masters? Is it because of the small amounts of money you give us?” she asked, drawing applause from the audience.
The President said that even the funds foreign parties claim to be providing are far less than before.
“The money is not there. It is too little. We are now talking about doing business so that while they benefit, we also benefit,” she said.
Although President Hassan did not name the entities attempting to influence Tanzania, the European Union (EU) Parliament adopted a resolution on 27 November 2025 to suspend 156 million Euros (about Sh400 billion) in aid earmarked for Tanzania in 2026. The government said it is closely monitoring the matter.
The suspended funds represent approximately 0.7 percent of Tanzania’s national budget for 2025/26, which stands at Sh56.49 trillion. Of this, Sh40.47 trillion is expected from domestic revenue, Sh1.07 trillion from foreign grants, and Sh14.95 trillion from domestic and external loans.
The government, through the Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Ambassador Mahmoud Thabit Kombo, has since confirmed ongoing negotiations with the EU, with the final decision on the cooperation resting with the EU Commission.
