Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan has pardoned more than 5,000 prisoners to celebrate Union Day.

President Samia urged the released inmates to put into practice the lessons they learnt in prison and lead responsible lives when re-joining their communities.

Union Day marks the coming together of Tanganyika and Zanzibar to form the Republic of Tanzania on 26 of April 1964.

Pardoning prisoners on Union Day is an annual tradition.

Last year, the late President John Magufuli pardoned 3,973 prisoners in order to ease congestion in prisons.

About 35,000 prisoners are reported to be in the country’s jails.