Dar es Salaam. The Tanzanian government has warned non-governmental organizations (NGOs) against enabling money laundering by politicians and interest groups ahead of the October 2025 elections, vowing stricter oversight to curb abuse of funds.
Deputy Minister for Community Development Mwanaidi Khamis raised the alarm while inaugurating the 2025 Annual NGOs Conference on Monday, August 11, 2025, warning that bad actors could exploit charitable organisations to unduly influence Tanzania’s upcoming elections. The three-day event will be taking place in the capital Dodoma from August 11, 2025, to August 13, 2025.
“This is very important in the topics you will discuss. Because we know that right now we are in an election period. And many people use non-governmental organisations to launder money for their own personal or political interests,” Ms Khamis told the delegate to the conference.
“Therefore, when this topic is discussed, it should be addressed in detail, with control and certainty, and well understood so that when you leave here, you can be good ambassadors to ensure that wherever we go in society, these actions do not happen,” she added.
“These actions not only harm our country but also negatively influence various behaviors that are not part of our culture here in Tanzania.”
Among other things, the conference will feature expert discussions on NGO operations. Key agenda items include regulating the NGO sector, understanding anti-money laundering protocols and financing mechanisms, as well as combating NGO terrorism.
Additional conference agenda items will include policy compliance and data protection measures for NGOs, strengthening government-NGO collaboration in monitoring and evaluation and combating human trafficking networks.
The conference aims at bringing together various ministries, government departments, institutions and agencies, along with other development stakeholders – including local government authorities from regional secretariats to district levels – as well as non-governmental organisations.
“This strategic unity and cooperation will enable us to collectively achieve our objectives, work collaboratively towards national development goals, and effectively serve target beneficiaries,” Ms Khamis added.
