Many of the fleeing Tanzanians confessed to being especially interested in Kenya. This is because here there are impromptu public holidays and for reasons ranging from a visit by a foreign personality, to the election of a president and even holding of a mass action rally.
The cancellation of a public holiday in Tanzania has been attributed to the cost-cutting efforts by the government. At this rate some are worried that even Christmas might be called off. It has got children worried and many are now crying themselves to sleep, saddened by the prospects of not receiving toys and other gifts this festive season.
“It’s not been announced yet but who knows... maybe they will cancel the festivities and ask us to remit the money we would have spent to the government instead!” said one Tanzanian who has lately taken to going home only after the children have slept to avoid seeing their sad faces.
For fear of government crackdown on any sort of celebrations unconfirmed reports say that Tanzanians have taken to holding social events and celebrations such as weddings in secret. But one Tanzanian was quick to chide journalists for sensationalism.
“Ndugu, that’s not true. Most weddings have always been done in secret at least where I come from... a man lures a girl into his house one night and she never resurfaces until the parents have searched in mortuaries and hospitals... here, like everywhere else, the weddings are just mere formalities that happen after the (sic) ‘real wedding cake’ has already been ‘eaten’,” the senior citizen opined. “So the secret weddings you claim to have seen have nothing to do with our ‘public holiday crunch’, it’s a normal thing!”
While releasing Tanzania’s most searched for phrases and terms Google revealed that ‘country with most public holidays’ was the most popular followed by quickest route to the particular country.
Credit: Mark Mutahi
