Mystery over why Arusha was being side-lined out of National May Day Celebrations for over 22 years

When Arusha hosts International Workers’ Day Celebrations on the first day of May, 2024, it will be the first time after more than 22 years for the region to finally get to organize May Day Festivals at National Levels.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan who is the Guest of Honor at the National May Day event in the city will also become the first Head of State to grace such celebrations in more than two decades.

The last Head of State to officiate Workers’ Day Celebrations at National Level in Arusha was the late President Benjamin William Mkapa, who was guest of honour at such fete in the year 2002.

It was during the time when the Regional Commissioner for Arusha was Daniel Ole Njoolay.

Since then Arusha will never host the May Day events at national levels for 22 consecutive years until 2024. The celebrations take at the Sheikh Amri Abeid Stadium, which underwent serious face lift just for the historical occasion.

In fact there are fully grown 22 year old adults who have never witnessed National May Day Celebrations in Arusha in their lifetime.

When asked why it took more than 22 years before National Celebrations returned to Arusha, the President of the Trade Union Congress of Tanzania (TUCTA), Tumaini Peter Nyamhokya bristled; “What is so special about Arusha anyway?” he retorted.

The Trade Union Congress of Tanzania is the organization behind May Day celebrations in the country and it is a mystery why TUCTA has been snubbing Arusha as far as hosting the fetes is concerned.

It is still also not known why other leaders such as the fourth President, Jakaya Kikwete and his successor, John Pombe Magufuli avoided Arusha as far as May Day celebrations were concerned.

Since 2013 May Day Celebrations at national levels have been taking place in Tanga, Mara, Mbeya, Mwanza, Iringa, Dodoma, Morogoro and Dar-Es-salaam regions only.

Some regions, such as Mwanza, Dodoma, Iringa and Morogoro have been hosting the May Day celebrations at national levels twice or even thrice.

In 2023, Morogoro organized the May Day celebrations, with President Samia Suluhu Hassan gracing the occasion, in 2022 the events went to Dodoma, in 2021 it was Mwanza played the host.

Former President, John Magufuli was guest of honor during the Workers’ Day fetes that were held at Sokoine Stadium of Mbeya region in the year 2019.

Following the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic the Labours’ Day public fetes had apparently skipped the year 2020.

In 2018 May Day events were held in Iringa at National Levels with President Magufuli preceding the ceremonies and previously in 2017, he was the guest of honor at the May Day fetes that took place at Moshi Cooperative grounds in Kilimanjaro Region.

The late John Pombe Magufuli’s first May-Day event as President was back in 2016 when the celebrations were again held in Dodoma.

Previously in 2015 his predecessor, President Jakaya Kikwete officiated the Workers’ Day celebrations that were held at National Levels at CCM Kirumba stadium in Mwanza City.

Dar-es-Salaam City hosted the May Day events at national levels in the year 2014. In 2013 it was Mbeya again which played host to the Labours’ day celebrations at Sokoine grounds.

Tanga hosted the 2012 May Day celebrations at national levels while Morogoro again hosted the 2011 events.

Mara hosted the 2009 May Day celebrations and the Guest of Honor was the then Vice President, Ali Mohammed Shein.

In 2008 it was Iringa again which played host, while in 2007 the celebrations once more went to Mwanza and previously in 2006, Jakaya Kikwete attended the events in Shinyanga.

Before Arusha hosted May Day at national levels in 2002, the region had organized the 1994 May Day Celebrations.

However the then workers union apex body; the Organization of Tanzanian Trade Unions (OTTU) under its rather tough Secretary General, Bruno Mpangala, refused to invite the second phase President Ali Hassan Mwinyi because the body had a bone to pick with the government.

In the following year, 1995 OTTU maintained its stand in snubbing the Head of State Mwinyi, when the celebrations moved to Mbeya region, where the late father of the National, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere was instead invited to address the workers.