In a televised address from state house, she said foreign aid was helping her government fulfil its social and development agenda.

The president was receiving progress reports from ministers on how the Covid-19 funds received from development partners had been utilised.

She said unlike other countries that had used such funds to buy protective gear like gloves and masks, Tanzania had used the funds prudently to build new health centres and medical facilities.

She said the money was also being used to put up new classrooms and learning facilities in many parts of the country.

She said she felt betrayed by those who had been criticising her government for taking the loans.

“It’s sad when a person you trust with so much government responsibility does that to you,” she said.

It came a day after parliamentary speaker Job Ndugai made a public apology following his earlier remarks thought to be criticising President Samia's government over the loans.

Last week, Tanzania signed a $1.9bn (£1.4bn) contract with a Turkish contractor to build a 368km (228 miles) third phase of a planned standard-gauge railway link.