The following debate took place during discussions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation’s budget on May 26, 2026. A major topic during the contributions session was a bill introduced on May 20, 2026, by two prominent United States senators. The bill proposes, among other measures, sanctions against Tanzanian leaders, citing political repression, religious persecution, and the killing of citizens in the aftermath of the October 2025 election protests.

Below is the full contribution of members from the ruling party CCM on the issue, along with the government’s response through the Minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation.

Mariam Anzuruni Mungula

Mariam Mungula is a first-time Special Seats Member of Parliament, representing the ruling party CCM. She is a lawyer and a seasoned member of the party’s women’s wing. She had served exclusively as a member of the CCM National Executive Council before her appointment as an MP.

There is a bill that I have here in my hand, dated the 20th — the 20th of this month, May — six days ago, in the United States Congress or Senate. Two legislators, including Senator Jeanne Shaheen, who is an opposition leader from the Democratic Party, and also Senator Ted Cruz, who is a leading legislator from the Republican Party, tabled a bill in the United States Congress or Senate which, in brief, calls on the United States government to impose certain sanctions on the government of Tanzania, based on what they described as a rollback of democracy, as well as political repression that occurred in Tanzania during our election period.

Mr. Chairman, I would like to quote Senator Ted Cruz from the statement in which he said: “The government of Tanzania is carrying out a campaign of political repression and religious persecution.”

Mr. Chairman, as of now, this bill is currently at the stage of being debated in their Foreign Relations Committee. These are two leaders, one from the opposition and one from the ruling side, from the Democratic and Republican parties, both of whom also sit on their Foreign Relations Committee in the United States. Mr. Chairman, I wanted to contribute by saying that this bill is not good for our government. Therefore, we should treat it with caution and take it seriously. In this bill, Mr. Chairman, it is also stated,  as Senator Cruz said, that Tanzania lacks freedom of worship and that there is also political repression.

Mr. Chairman, we all know our country, we live like brothers and sisters, and all our religions interact with one another, even to the point of intermarriage across faiths. However, regarding the elections of the 29th, our government, under Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan has already taken steps regarding what occurred, as the committee chairperson stated, and that all those mentioned will be brought before the criminal commission and action will be taken.

But also, Mr. Chairman, this bill will have very significant consequences for the relations between our two countries, and will also contribute to setting us back as Tanzania in terms of our economic diplomacy.

Mr. Chairman, the relations between our two countries, for those who may not be familiar with the history, began shortly after Tanganyika gained independence in 1963, when Mwalimu Nyerere traveled to visit the United States in New York at the invitation of the then President of the United States, John Fitzgerald Kennedy. There they built a close relationship which, to this day, is something we are proud of, Tanzania and the United States have been very close friends.

Mr. Chairman, I wanted to offer an opinion and recommend that we urge our Ministry, through our Minister of Foreign Affairs and diplomatic leaders and experts, to appeal to the United States so that we continue together to uphold this very important relationship for both of our countries. Mr. Chairman, the consequences of losing this relationship for our country are very serious.

I also wanted to recommend  to the committee [Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Security] as well, because right now this bill is still in their Foreign Relations Committee. It has not yet gone to a vote in their full Congress, and when it does come to a vote, this bill will impose sanctions on Tanzania. It will impose approximately eight sanctions on Tanzania, including personal sanctions against some of our leaders and our security organs.

Mr. Chairman, I also wanted to note that, for example, Tanzanians are currently issued only 50 visas per month to the United States, whereas Americans are allowed entry to Tanzania at a rate of about 12,000.

I urge our Ministry to take this matter seriously, and Minister, when you come here to give your closing remarks, please explain to us, I understand that steps may already have been taken regarding this matter, so that we understand what is happening. And if possible, even have our Foreign Relations Committee travel to the United States to engage on this matter directly, so that we use diplomacy to resolve it and bring it to a conclusion.

Esther Bulaya

Esther Bulaya is a seasoned Member of Parliament currently representing the Bunda Mjini constituency. She began her political career in the ruling party CCM and served as a CCM Member of Parliament between 2010 and 2015. In 2015, she joined the opposition party CHADEMA before returning to CCM ahead of the 2025 election, where she secured the Bunda Town constituency seat.

Honorable Minister, I also reviewed the bill that has been submitted to the parliamentary committee, the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs. This is a serious matter. We are not talking about a report. We are talking about a bill, which, if voted on by the committee and sent to the United States Senate, becomes law.

 I recognize that we Tanzanians have a historical relationship with the United States, and we are sincerely ready to protect our diplomatic relations, we would be the last to sever diplomatic ties with any country. However, we recognize that this nation is free. There are matters which we as a nation, under our constitution and our laws, have the capacity to handle ourselves. And we ask that the few people who wish to undermine the dignity, culture, and full sovereignty of our country do not use that as a basis to seek political self-gain.

We had expected that our counterparts would have engaged with our parliamentary committee of NUU [Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Security (NUU is short form swahili)] before that bill was advanced to the point of becoming law. Today I am saying: pushing that bill into law, revoking visas for leaders of Chama Cha Mapinduzi, some of whom are victims to the very events they are referring to.

You are talking about revoking visas of our national defence leaders without any natural justice. They were not heard anywhere. They were not given the opportunity, as a government, through the relevant ministry, to present an official government statement to the committee. This is not a good thing. It seeks to damage the image and harm the diplomatic relations between our country and the United States.

But regarding the very matters they are referring to, under Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan’s government of the United Republic of Tanzania, through our courts which they question; 213 case files have been closed, and today 1,736 accused persons have been released and are free. These are the efforts of the Chief Diplomat, and these ara rights and actions being undertaken by our security and defence organs.

Today people have been released in connection with the events of October 29th. Mr. Minister, I am confident that they do not have accurate information, they have one-sided information. Today we are talking about promoting democracy. We were elected, we sold a manifesto. If you go to pages 32 and 33 of our manifesto, it speaks about peace, stability, and advancing diplomatic relations between us and other nations. Our manifesto speaks about advancing democratic governance,  this Chama cha Mapinduzi’s manifesto that we took to the people and were voted for on by citizens.

We have been given the responsibility to lead this country. We sold a manifesto, we are here to protect the Constitution, we are here to follow the law. We are ready to uphold good governance as we had committed in our manifesto. Today, if another nation, one whose own defence and security organs, and legal institutions granted constitutional authority within their own countries, we equally cannot go and question, simply because some people have an interest in one case and forget that those same courts have freed the children of the poor in many other cases.

Mr. Minister, today people are talking, they are referring to a New Constitution. In our manifesto, we included it. The President, when addressing Parliament for the first time, stated that before her term ends she will ensure the country has a new constitution.

These matters, Mr. Minister, your ministry should go and explain them, together with our parliamentary committee. Mr. Speaker, you too are diplomat number one, you served on this committee. We are ready to give you full cooperation to ensure we protect our country at any cost. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Elibariki Kingu

Elibariki Emmanuel Kingu is the Member of Parliament for Ikungi West, serving his second term in Parliament. A former civil servant turned politician, he has built his political career through various positions in the ruling party over the years.

Mr. Speaker, the foundations of international relations and our foreign policy; we are a non-aligned movement nation, Mr. Speaker, we are a nation that does not align with any side. And the foundations of our foreign policy and international relations, and Minister, you have stated clearly that is anchored in protecting the full sovereignty of the country, the borders of the nation, and the political independence of our nation.

Mr. Speaker, I want to remind you that in 1961, when Tanzania gained independence and the late father of the nation, Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere, made his first visit to the United States at the invitation of President Kennedy, when he delivered a speech at the White House, President Kennedy, struck by the vision that the late father of the nation Mwalimu Nyerere held for Tanzania, made a statement comparing Mwalimu Nyerere and Tanzania’s plans and vision to George Washington, the first President of the United States and father of the American nation.

Mr. Speaker, why do I say all this? I want to assure you first, regarding this bill, my colleagues, I have seen it, I have had the opportunity to review this bill. I want to inform your Parliament, Mr. Speaker, it was this President, Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan, when she came to power, the very first thing our President did, Members of Parliament, I ask that we keep this in mind, I ask that we set the record straight before the world, so that we do not allow the dignity of our nation, the dignity of our President, to be played with by certain countries for interests that could render our President, our country, and our leaders weak.

Mr. Speaker, I want to remind you,  in defending democratic freedoms in foreign affairs, when President Samia came to power, she was the first president to go and visit even the opposition members who had fled and escaped from this nation. Mr. Speaker, when President Samia came to power, there were some politicians who did not even have passports. President Samia gave directives and they were issued even with diplomatic documents, free to travel anywhere in the world. Mr. Speaker, when President Samia came to power, in defense of the freedom of political parties in Tanzania, she lifted the ban on all public gatherings that had been imposed on political parties in Tanzania.

All parties were given the freedom to hold political meetings. Mr. Speaker, Tanzania has an average of no fewer than 4,000 churches. No fewer than 4,000 churches, and 98% of those churches are led by private individuals, setting aside institutional churches. I have read this bill claiming that Tanzania is carrying out religious persecution, and I will go further by adding that under President Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan’s leadership, we have witnessed religious liberty at the highest level.

Today, the President can go to a church and make a donation. A Muslim can go to a church and make a donation. Mr. Speaker, this nation has no issues of religious persecution. And that is why today we are speaking here, seated next to me is a Muslim Member of Parliament, seated next to me is a Christian Member of Parliament. We sit together, this is the first nation in Africa where I can say with confidence we have been able to coexist between the two great religions. We have no religious persecution. I who speak here, my mother is a Muslim. I am a Christian.

Mr. Speaker, we intermarry between Muslims and Christians. I ask with great respect Minister Kombo, as a minister, do everything possible. And I do not blame those American senators, it is possible they received one-sided information. Mr. Speaker, with respect and honour, I know you too are a skilled diplomat. Make arrangements, Mr. Speaker, go together with Minister Kombo. Go and sit with the American foreign committee. We Tanzanians need Americans, and Americans need Tanzania. We Tanzania need the European Union, and the European Union needs Tanzania. We Tanzania need Asia, and Asia needs Tanzania. We need the Chinese and the Chinese need us. We need the Russians and the Russians need us. We need the Iranians and the Iranians need us. We need the Israelis and the Israelis need us. We are a non-aligned movement nation.

We ask with respect and honour,  for the dignity of our nation Tanzania, let us continue to pursue diplomacy of a win-win situation, diplomacy of them coming to invest and us having markets in their countries. Not a single person in this nation hates foreigners. We are brothers and sisters, European Union to Pacific to Asia to Indonesia. We are one people. Let us build an environment, Mr. Speaker, of a world that will be safe. A world without bullying, a world that does not look down on some smaller nations and seek to oppress them, for my nation Tanzania. We will protect this nation with all our strength. And may God help us.

Nape Nnauye

Nape Nnauye is one of the most senior Members of Parliament from the ruling party CCM. He has served in several ministerial positions, including Minister of Information, Communication, and Information Technology. He is also a seasoned CCM member who has held various key positions within the party, including serving as the party’s spokesperson. He is currently the Member of Parliament for the Mtama constituency.

Building a nation is history, and it takes a long time. And in that history there is the possibility of passing through mountains and valleys, good times and bad times, times of joy and sometimes times of sorrow. And a good captain is tested during a storm. Our country has had several decades of building our history, our relationships, and our friendships. That is why I commend the presidents of this country, through turbulence and through calm, the diplomacy of our nation has continued to flourish.

And President Samia has shown through actions, when we went through waves, the President stood firm and demonstrated patriotism, and this has sent a message to the world that even when we go through difficulties, we still have the capacity to handle our own problems. And this has brought honour to our President. And this gives us the resolve to support our President in the work she is doing.

Now I want to urge the Ministry, let us remind our friends repeatedly that we are ready to cooperate with them as friends to resolve challenges we are going through. But importantly, let them remember that this country is free. It gained its independence. Our freedom was not given to us as a gift. We struggled and won our freedom. We are free, respect our freedom. We respect their contribution. We value their contribution in addressing the challenges we have, but let them come knowing that this country is free, and let them respect our freedom.

Secondly, our friends are welcome, but importantly, let them remember not to use the challenges we have to harass, oppress, bully, or humiliate us. Let them use the opportunity we give them to work with us with respect, discipline, and amity. This country has had relations with these friends for several decades. The challenges of one, two, or three days cannot define our relationship with them as if that alone is the foundation of our friendship.

And I want to ask Tanzanians, the history of this country will be built by Tanzanians. Let us guard our country with great jealousy. Let us defend this country with great passion. Let us not allow anyone to humiliate us, anyone to bully us, anyone to harass us, and let the challenges we face not be used as a stick to beat us with. To that lets say no.

And I urge this Ministry — let us repeatedly remind them, whether they are large nations or small, we are all equal before diplomacy. So let them come, let us cooperate, let us work with them. And Minister, you have done good work, you have visited several nations and I am certain you will visit more. I maintain this position, we do not align with any side, but let them respect us when they come to work with us. They should recognize that this country is free. They must ensure they respect our sovereignty. They should respect us and not humiliate us; they should treat us fairly. Mr. Speaker, I support the motion.

Government Response: Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Mahmoud Thabit Kombo

Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by sincerely thanking the distinguished chairperson of our committee, Honourable Najma Giga, for your contribution; Honourable Mariam Anzuruni Mungula; Honourable Nape Nnauye; Honourable Esther Bulaya; Honourable Elibariki Kingu; Honourable Ado Shaibu for your very valuable contribution; and Honourable Deputy Minister Jumanne Maghembe.

I would like to begin generally by first saying that, I have worked with the Honourable President previously, when she was Minister and I was her Deputy Minister in Zanzibar. If there is the day that you have pleased the President with your contribution, for me in my personal  history, that is today.  I want to say,  that you have given her a sufficient Eid gift, since Eid is coming tomorrow, because our main task is to shield the President on what is coming to her.

Recently, our President has been spoken about a great deal, caricatured, and all blame for events that have occurred has been directed at Her Excellency the President, when in fact she has done tremendous constitutional work to protect all of us, to ensure that we, our families, and our children remain alive in this country.

I was fortunate to meet Her Excellency the President five days after the election, following a landslide victory. She entrusted me with a task I cannot reveal here, a very heavy responsibility, Because Tanzania has fallen into disrepute, it has gained a bad reputation in the world that has never happened since our independence in 1961. And those who brought that upon us were we Tanzanians ourselves, not our President, not our President. That I will say anywhere, without mincing words.

So, regarding your contributions today, I want to acknowledge that I have received all your recommendations. I have taken them all and I am going to work on them, including the point raised by Hon. Nape Nnauye.Mr. Chairman, many have suggested that the Speaker should speak with their counterparts in Parliament there; I will act on that as quickly as possible. The NUU committee should also speak with their counterparts there; I will handle that promptly.

It is not acceptable that we are only spoken about. When there are arguments, they should be answered with arguments. And we want to respond in accordance with our policy—peacefully, politely,  following all the guidance we were given by Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere; that is the path we want to follow. Therefore, I agree with all your contributions. There is not a single contribution that is bad. Even this matter of special status, I will also respond to it.

All your contributions are good, and I would like to agree with them. The Honorable President has many institutions; you know there are various institutions here, each one submits according to its report and according to its professional mandate. One institution focuses on defense matters, another on security, but I focus on diplomacy. We will present your contributions diplomatically to the Honorable President, Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan, because they are very good contributions.

Mr. Speaker. After giving that acceptance speech on all points, I would like to briefly quote from the committee chair’s report, which has personally touched me greatly on page 12. I would like to read this quotation for a specific purpose. She stated, Mr. Speaker, that these achievements have also been contributed to by the firm steps and strong intentions of the Honorable Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of the United Republic of Tanzania, who, upon assuming office, began with the “Four Rs” and extended a hand of goodwill to all politicians in the country, all religious leaders, and various civil society organizations.This step has attracted different people around the world and various nations to cooperate with Tanzania, as well as political parties, religious groups, civil society organizations, and others in various ways.

This is how Tanzania is. We made a promise, and I also make a promise before you, Mr. Speaker and your honorable Parliament, as stated by Hon. Nape and others, that those who want to exploit our small weaknesses that have occurred in order to oppress, humiliate, or bully Tanzania, we will respond to them with this very good diplomatic response presented by the Chairperson, Hon. Najma Giga.

I would like to acknowledge and congratulate you on this speech, this is what is called the report of the standing committee. We will use this book as our working document because its content is well organized, its chapters are well structured, and its explanations are very clear. We will use it as part of our work.

Let me add one point here regarding Hon. Mariam Anzuruni Mungula. And here I ask  to take a few minutes to provide an explanation on what she has said. She is completely correct, and I agree with her; she has explained it well, and I congratulate her for doing good research.

The United States Government, or the U.S. Senate, has powers, there are three branches, just like us: the judiciary, the executive, and the legislative. The judiciary does not “speak” it implements by delivering judgments. The main function of speaking, in particular, belongs to Parliament, the legislative branch is responsible for initiating discussions, while the government is in the middle, implementing.

In the U.S. system, the legislature has the right to propose any matter, sanctioning  a person, president, an uncle or an aunt. It has that authority to submit proposals; that is the role of the legislative branch. As I understand it with my exposure, the legislature is answered by the legislature. Today you have carried out that work. Hon. Nape, congratulations.

The legislature is answered by the legislature. The NUU[Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Security (NUU is short form in swahili)]  is answered by the NUU, and the committee that presented this is the NUU committee [Senate Foreign Relations Committee]. Senator Ted Cruz and Senator Jeanne Shaheen are bipartisan, two different political parties, but they have submitted a bill, a draft bill, an initial draft within the NUU committee [Senate Foreign Relations Committee].

According to their procedure, the NUU votes there. Once NUU has voted, it then “descends to the valley.” Where all the Members of Parliament are. Now, that stage of voting in the NUU committee has not yet been reached.

And I’am grateful that the representatives of the United States are here today, they are up there, and if you want, I can point them out so you can see them. Fortunately, I thank the U.S. Government very much; they have brought Swahili speakers because they wanted a word-for-word translation. The translation for Hon. Elibariki Kingu’s words, they did not want it to differ even by a single letter. They have brought our fellow Swahili speakers; we have their names, they are up there.

I had asked for their names and I have been given them while I was seated; they are up there. They will write word for word to submit it, but beyond them submitting it, we will also write to our counterparts. I believe that since those who have come are Tanzanians, I believe they have no issues of religion or political affiliation, I believe so.

They will write word for word everything that was said by each member who contributed to that motion. Hon. Elibariki Kingu, Hon. Nape Nnauye, and Hon. Mariam Anzuruni Mungula, word for word, because what you said carries deep meaning. They will also present your recommendations that we should engage, so that we can get an appointment with them, because the Speaker cannot go there without an appointment; he has his dignity and enjoys privileges and protections in this Parliament according to the rules.

Even us in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we cannot take him without an appointment, but we have received it and we will work on it. I believe our colleagues today, and I am saying this deliberately so that it is recorded in the Hansard so that they can write it properly. I believe they will write word for word what the Parliament of the United Republic of Tanzania has said in its contributions to the debate on the budget speech of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Today is the day that you have helped us a great deal, you have explained things well and given us strength to carry out our work. You have given us a lot of strength. You know, when you speak alone, if a Member of Parliament does not speak, you are elected here by citizens to speak; you are the main voice of the people.

There is no other platform in this country, according to the Constitution, that has a place to speak like this one here, where everyone has a representative. Fishermen have a representative, persons with disabilities have representatives; every single citizen is represented. In the United States, people do not vote individually for the President, it is also the legislature of the United States that do so, because we say that authority has already been fully delegated to Parliament, and it is Parliament that chooses the leader. Several other parliaments around the world do the same.

Therefore, today I would like to sincerely thank you, Honorable Members of Parliament, for your contributions. I believe your statements represent all other Members of Parliament in supporting your President, and our President, your leader and our leader, to continue with implemention of these matters.Today, on this day you have strenthened the Honorable President to oversee these issues, I thank you very much, Honorable Members of Parliament.

Honourable Mariam Anzuruni Mungula, we have received your contributions and we shall act upon them in accordance with the established procedures. This is the bill stage; we will commence direct consultations in line with the recommendations. We are all witnesses. And I am very pleased today you have mentioned, Honourable Elibariki Kingu, I thank you. Tanzania has no religious discrimination.

There they claim that we slaughter people, that we slaughter people of a certain religion, that we slaughter people of a certain denomination. By the grace of God. I personally do not know the religious denominations of these Deputy Ministers to this day. I have spent all this time with them, yet I do not know their denominations. They are right here before you, and I have never asked them, and they too do not know my denomination. I challenge them: they do not know my denomination. They only know that one is a Muslim, but they cannot identify my denomination. Honourable Elibariki, you gave a very good example about your mother and a father. We intermarry, we have no tribes.

Mwalimu Nyerere told us that our nationhood is one. Our Tanzanian identity is our nation. Our identity is our Tanzanian-ness. Our language is Kiswahili. Today, wherever a Tanzanian goes in the world, they identify themselves as a Tanzanian and we take pride in that. I am very proud to be a Tanzanian. Let us not allow division among ourselves here, nor any external force to divide us.

Regarding those who tabled their motions, I asked about both of them and neither has ever visited Tanzania. I asked this in my capacity as Minister of Foreign Affairs: have they ever visited Tanzania? They have not. I have already dispatched an invitation, for your information, inviting both of them to come and visit Tanzania.

We will cover all their expenses, from accommodation to lodging. Let them come and see where we allegedly slaughter one another, where we fight, where we discriminate against each other. Let them enter the churches, let them enter the mosques, and see how people celebrate weddings together. Let them see how people come together at funerals, how they gather in times of grief, and every matter that touches the lives of Tanzanian citizens, so that they may witness our nationhood and our identity. We have already invited them, and we have already written the formal letter, if you require proof, we shall provide it.

I continue to receive all the contributions made by Honourable Mariam Anzuruni Mungula, matters to be addressed through argument with argument. But I also appeal to you, Honourable Members of Parliament, through you Honourable Speaker: when you encounter such motions, do not remain entirely silent. Do not wait until the time comes for Foreign Affairs Ministry [discussion]  when an issue arise. This particular issue was released on the 19th. When a motion such as this one comes before you, I humbly and respectfully appeal to you, you are part of the three organs of state, you have a constitutional duty within those three organs, and under your standing orders you are permitted to bring forward a special motion.

Your counterparts have used their own rules and procedures to table those motions. Motions are at times answered by motions, and when such a motion originates NUU, it is answered through NUU [Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Security (NUU is short form swahili)] . I wish to request the Chairperson that whenever we receive any information, we shall relay it to her.

We work very closely with Parliament. We work very closely with the IPU. The upcoming IPU meeting — we are stakeholders and we sit on the committee. Without us, you would find it difficult to receive guests, because we know how to receive guests. That is our work. Some have never invited even a single person, but our Honourable President invited 38 Heads of State here. Therefore we have vast experience, through Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan.

Therefore,I wish to confirm that we have received the contributions, and Honourable Mariam Anzuruni Mungula, I thank you very much, we shall act upon them all, as you have recommended.

Honourable Nape, to you , and through you, Honourable Speaker, firstly, you have returned fresh from Brussels. You are fresh from Brussels, and Brussels is the headquarters of the European Union, with their Ambassador, Madam Grau, seated up there.

The very first place the Honourable President sent me was Brussels, because a weighty motion had been passed by the Brussels Parliament, and you know what that motion is. I do not wish to name it here, but it begins with the word “Free.” To me, “free” means “bure”, without cost, at no charge,  is that not so? The word “free” means “bure [at no charge].

We therefore went there and told them that this matter is in accordance with the Constitution, it is in accordance with the laws of the land. It falls within a pillar that must not be interfered with by anyone. I state this openly, and at the European Union, they have their own Hansard and they recorded our proceedings.

We sat with the Speaker, we sat with the Deputy Speaker, and we agreed to disagree, each party respected the other. They have their position, and they have expressed it in their statement. They have their dignity and we have ours. They may withhold their visas from us. We can decide for ourselves whom we wish to deny entry and whom we wish to permit. As of now, the Honourable President, who is the diplomat number one, has not declared the denial of a visa to any person wishing to visit Tanzania. Tanzania is a hospitable country and we welcome everyone.

We do challenges. We continue to face challenges. There are levels B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, we receive them and we navigate through them. I wish to thank the Almighty God for blessing us with a President of great heart and immense patience. Today, your contributions have caused me to speak more than I ordinarily would, because they have touched me deeply within. At times, we go forward with very firm, stern recommendations, and just as you used that kind of language, Honourable Nape, but our Honourable President brings us back and tells us: apply wisdom and prudence. It is very difficult to find leaders of that calibre.

We see others launching missiles at one another out there right now. This one fires, that one fires back. This one launches, that one launches back. But she says: no, Minister, go back, sit down again, reconsider, think again. Where will you find a President like that? Where will you find a leader like that? Let us continue to pray for her to the Almighty God.

Yet no one has blamed the parent who permitted their child to go and throw stones, or to throw petrol bottles, or to go and attack. Not one such person has been blamed to date. All blame is directed at her alone. So please let us sometimes show compassion toward our leader. Let us speak up for our leader. Let us protect our leader. Let us shield our leader. We took an oath here, and the very first word of our oath is:

“I promise, I swear, I will protect.” It begins with the words “I will protect,” and then the rest follows,  I will defend it, I will implement it, I will uphold it,  and more besides. But the first word is “I will protect.” Now, when they say you are protecting the Constitution, and the one who upholds the Constitution at the highest level is who? Number one, the Honourable President herself. Let us protect her through our actions, because much has been said about her, much has been said to her. But today I am grateful, you have greatly assisted us in setting the record straight. You have explained that we are traversing valleys and mountains, enduring drought and floods, and various pressures.

This country, at this time, has gone through things we have never experienced since 1961. But I am deeply grateful to Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan for her resolve. Shortly after she was sworn in, we were slow to put out our own account of events. The information that was circulating was partly fabricated.

The information that was circulating was what the mainstream media chose to put out as they saw fit. Some published about graves. They just published what they wished to publish. They put out what they wanted to put out. Each one constructed their own narrative.

After the Honourable President was sworn in and after she appointed us, she handed me 25 letters which I carried with me around the world to explain what had happened in Tanzania. Everywhere I went in the world, I was asked: why did you not come sooner? I told them: we were in the middle of an election. Why did you not come sooner? Our President had not yet been sworn in. Why did you not come sooner? The Government had not yet been formed.

The Ministers had not yet been appointed. But everywhere I went, they said to us: we were misled, the information we were given is not what President Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan has written in her own hand and signed in her own ink. From that day, Tanzania changed, and they accepted us.

Even to the Pope, the head of the Catholic denomination worldwide, I was the one sent there. Honourable Palamagamba Aidan Kabudi went with me. Where is he? I was with him, because he knows all about books and history, those matters more deeply. He went carrying files back and forth. Once he begin telling about Mwalimu Nyerere and 1961, it was clear he was more equipped for that, because in 1961, I had not even been born yet, and my mother was not yet married. And he presented the Pope with our materials, and the Pope presented us with his in return.

We returned here having achieved success, and it holds to this day. Today our country is calm, it is at peace. Everyone is going to work, everyone is carrying out their responsibilities. Why provoke? Why do we want to return to provocation? We have healed the nation.

Across all religious institutions, we have begun to heal, we are healing our nation. There is no one to blame. The Constitution did its work. If you go outside and throw a stone at a police officer, throw a stone and see, their general orders instruct them to attack first. The Constitution was implemented and everyone performed their duty. So why these lingering grievances,to poke a wound ? Let us heal our nation.

The Almighty God has blessed us with a truly wonderful nation. The Almighty God has favoured us. I am deeply grateful to the Almighty God for blessing us with our Tanzanian identity. We are called to cherish our Tanzanian-ness and to continue engaging with all those who incite or bring aggression of any kind. And we pledge that we will continue to engage with them diplomatically, in friendship and in good relations. The representative of the American Embassy and I speak very well together.

There was a day I was sent,  I do not go anywhere without being sent,  I went to sign the condolence book for Iran, because the one who passed away was a leader, a leader not only of religion but of the nation as well. The very next day I was receiving the credentials of the Israeli Ambassador. Then one newspaper wrote that I was receiving the accreditation papers of the Israeli Ambassador. I told them: this is who Tanzania is. We have no enemies. Everyone is our friend.

All nations of the world are our friends. We neither inherit nor accept another person’s enemy. And no one has the power to compel us and say: this is my enemy, and you must not speak to them. No. If we are to choose, we will choose our own enemies, which we do not have. Honourable Member, I ask that this suffice as a response to that matter. Historical relations, we shall continue to nurture.

Let me turn to you, Honourable Member, in conclusion, Honourable Esther Bulaya, I commend you greatly for your contribution. I feel that Members of Parliament have a duty to speak for the nation. Just as those at the NUU [Senate Foreign Relations Committee] told us we have religious discrimination, you have the evidence that there is no religious discrimination. There is no denominational discrimination. Everyone practises freely.

No one is better placed to provide that evidence than the Parliament of the United Republic, even the Government comes after Parliament, because you are directly connected to the citizens. You have a direct link with the citizens. You were brought here by the votes of the citizens.

Therefore, I appeal to you, Honourable Members of Parliament, to continue to speak for the nation, that we have no religious discrimination, and regarding all that has been written in the aforementioned bill, there are eight matters that have been highlighted. You are the ones to speak to all of those matters. We have none of them.