Samia Suluhu

Samia Suluhu Hassan (born 27 January 1960) is a Tanzanian

politician who is serving as the sixth and current president of Samia Suluhu
Tanzania. She is a member of the ruling party Chama Cha Incumbent
Mapinduzi (CCM) . Suluhu is the third female head of
Assumed office
government of an East African Community (EAC) country, after
Sylvie Kinigi in Burundi and Agathe Uwilingiyimana in 19 March 2021
Rwanda, and is also the first female president of Tanzania. She Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa
took office on 19 March 2021 after the death of the previous Vice President TBD
president, John Magufuli, two days earlier.
Preceded by John Magufuli
A native of Zanzibar, Suluhu served as a minister in the semi- 10th Vice-President of Tanzania
autonomous region during the administration of President Amani In office
Karume. She served as the Member of Parliament for the
5 November 2015 – 19 March 2021
Makunduchi constituency from 2010 to 2015 and was the
Minister of State in the Vice-President's Office for Union Affairs President John Magufuli
from 2010 to 2015. In 2014, she was elected as the Vice- Preceded by Mohamed Gharib Bilal
Chairperson of the Constituent Assembly tasked with the drafting
Succeeded by TBD
of the country's new constitution.
Minister of State for Union Affairs for
Suluhu became Tanzania's first female vice-president following the Vice-President's Office
the 2015 general election, after being elected on the CCM ticket In office
with President Magufuli. Suluhu and Magufuli were re-elected to 29 November 2010 – 5 November 2015
a second term in 2020. She briefly served as the second female
President Jakaya Kikwete
interim Head of State in the EAC – 27 years after Sylvie Kinigi
of Burundi, spanning a period around the end of the year 1993. Preceded by Muhammed Seif Khatib
Succeeded by January Makamba
Member of Parliament
Contents for Makunduchi
In office
Early life November 2010 – July 2015
Career Succeeded by Ameir Timbe
Political career Minister of Tourism, Trade and
Investment
Personal life
In office
References
2005–10
External links
President Amani Karume
Preceded by Mussa A. Silima
Early life Succeeded by Said Ali Mbarouk
Minister of Labour, Gender
Suluhu was born on 27 January 1960 in the Sultanate of Development and Children
Zanzibar.[1] In office
2000–05
President Amani Karume
She completed her secondary education in 1977 and began Personal details
working. Subsequently, she pursued a number of short-courses Born 27 January 1960
on a part-time basis. In 1986, she graduated from the Institute of
Sultanate of Zanzibar
Development Management (present-day Mzumbe University)
with an advanced diploma in public administration.[2] Nationality Tanzanian
Political party CCM
Between 1992 and 1994, she attended the University of
Manchester and earned a postgraduate diploma in economics.[3] Spouse(s) Hafidh Ameir (m. 1978)
In 2015, she obtained her MSc in Community Economic Children 4
Development via a joint-programme between the Open Alma mater IDM, Mzumbe (AdvDip)
University of Tanzania and the Southern New Hampshire
Manchester (PGDip)
University.[2]
Open University of
Tanzania–SNHU (MSc)
Career Twitter SuluhuSamia (https://t
witter.com/SuluhuSami
After her secondary school education, she was employed by the
a)
Ministry of Planning and Development as a clerk. Upon
graduation with her public administration degree, she was Website www.samia.or.tz (htt
employed on a project funded by the World Food Programme.[2] p://www.samia.or.tz)

Political career
In 2000, she decided to run for public office. She was elected as a special seat member to the Zanzibar House
of Representatives and was appointed a minister by President Amani Karume. She was the only high-ranking
woman minister in the cabinet and was "looked down on" by her male colleagues because of her gender.[3]
She was re-elected in 2005 and was re-appointed as a minister in another portfolio.[4]

In 2010, she sought election to the National Assembly, standing in the parliamentary constituency of
Makunduchi and winning by more than 80%.[4] President Jakaya Kikwete appointed her as the Minister of
State for Union Affairs.[5] In 2014, she was elected as the Vice Chairperson of the Constituent Assembly
tasked with drafting the country's new constitution.[6]

In July 2015, CCM's presidential nominee John Magufuli chose her as his running mate for the 2015
election,[7] making her the first female running mate in the party's history.[8] On 5 November 2015 she
subsequently became the first female vice-president in the history of the country upon Magufuli's victory in the
election.[9] Both Magufuli and Suluhu were re-elected for a second five-year term on 28 October 2020.

On 17 March 2021, Suluhu announced that Magufuli had died after a long illness; Magufuli had not been seen
in public since late February. She was sworn in as his successor on 19 March 2021, and will serve the balance
of Magufuli's second five-year term.[10] The delay in the start of her term came because the Constitution of
Tanzania explicitly requires the vice-president to take the presidential oath before ascending to the
presidency;[11] opposition leaders had expressed concern about a possible "vacuum" when 18 March passed
without Suluhu being sworn in.[12] Upon her swearing-in, Suluhu became Tanzania's first female
president.[13] She is also the first Zanzibari to hold the post,[14] and the third Muslim after Ali Hassan Mwinyi
and Jakaya Kikwete.[15] She also became one of two serving female heads of state in Africa, alongside
Ethiopia's Sahle-Work Zewde.[16] Under the Constitution, since she took office with more than three years
remaining in Magufuli's term, she will only be eligible for one full term in her own right.[11]

Personal life
In 1978, Suluhu married Hafidh Ameir, an agricultural officer who, by 2014, had retired. They have four
children.[3] Her daughter Wanu Hafidh Ameir (born 1982), the couple's second child, is a special seat member
of the Zanzibar House of Representatives.[17][18]

References
1. "Samia Suluhu Hassan—Tanzania's new president" (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-5
6444575). BBC News. 19 March 2021. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
2. "Member of Parliament CV" (https://web.archive.org/web/20150713054257/http://www.parliame
nt.go.tz/index.php/members/mpcvs/1668/2010-2015). Parliament of Tanzania. Archived from
the original (http://www.parliament.go.tz/index.php/members/mpcvs/1668/2010-2015) on 13
July 2015. Retrieved 19 February 2013.
3. Mwakyusa, Alvar (18 September 2014). "Samia Suluhu Hassan: A tough journey from activism
to politics" (http://dailynews.co.tz/archive/index.php/features/36136-samia-suluhu-hassan-a-tou
gh-journey-from-activism-to-politics). Daily News. Archived (https://www.webcitation.org/6ajmy
Evqc?url=http://dailynews.co.tz/archive/index.php/features/36136-samia-suluhu-hassan-a-toug
h-journey-from-activism-to-politics) from the original on 12 August 2015. Retrieved 12 August
2015.
4. Mwakyusa, Alvar (18 September 2014). "Tanzania: Samia Suluhu Hassan – a Tough Journey
From Activism to Politics" (http://allafrica.com/stories/201409181187.html). AllAfrica. Archived
(https://web.archive.org/web/20190805152926/https://allafrica.com/stories/201409181187.html)
from the original on 5 August 2019. Retrieved 16 November 2016.
5. "Tanzania: History Made as Samia Picked Running Mate" (http://allafrica.com/stories/20150713
0201.html). AllAfrica. 13 July 2015. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20161116101756/htt
p://allafrica.com/stories/201507130201.html) from the original on 16 November 2016. Retrieved
16 November 2016.
6. Mwakyusa, Alvar (14 March 2014). "Tanzania: Union 'Stalwart' Samia Is CA Vice-Chairperson"
(http://allafrica.com/stories/201403140029.html). AllAfrica. Archived (https://web.archive.org/we
b/20140314153737/http://allafrica.com/stories/201403140029.html) from the original on 14
March 2014. Retrieved 16 November 2016.
7. CCM [@ccm_tanzania] (12 July 2015). "Mgombea mwenza Urais 2015 wa Mhe. John Pombe
Magufuli ni.." (https://twitter.com/ccm_tanzania/status/620203847663783936) (Tweet) (in
Swahili). Retrieved 12 July 2015 – via Twitter.
8. Mohammed, Omar (12 July 2015). "Tanzania's ruling party nominates John Magufuli as
presidential candidate" (http://qz.com/451460/tanzanias-ruling-party-nominates-a-former-chemi
stry-teacher-as-its-candidate-for-president/). Quartz. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/201
50811035232/http://qz.com/451460/tanzanias-ruling-party-nominates-a-former-chemistry-teach
er-as-its-candidate-for-president/) from the original on 11 August 2015. Retrieved 12 August
2015.
9. Kalinaki, K. Daniel (30 October 2015). "CCM's John Magufuli declared Tanzania fifth president"
(https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/news/John-Magufuli-declared-Tanzania-s-fifth-president/-/255
8/2934778/-/11h61lfz/-/index.html). The East African. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/201
51031002340/http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/news/John-Magufuli-declared-Tanzania-s-fifth-pr
esident/-/2558/2934778/-/11h61lfz/-/index.html) from the original on 31 October 2015.
Retrieved 31 October 2015.
10. Shaban, Ebby; Feleke, Bethlehem (19 March 2021). "Tanzania swears in Samia Suluhu
Hassan as first female president" (https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/19/africa/tanzania-samia-suluh
u-hassan-president-intl/). CNN.
11. "Constitution of Tanzania" (https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Tanzania_2005?lang=
#399). "Where the office of President becomes vacant by reason of the death of the President,
his resignation, loss of the electoral qualifications or inability to perform his functions due to
physical infirmity, or failure to discharge the duties and functions of the office of President, then
the Vice-President shall be sworn in and become the President for the unexpired period of the
term of five years"
12. "Tanzania swears in new president after sudden death of Magufuli" (https://www.aljazeera.com/
news/2021/3/19/tanzania-to-swear-in-new-president-on-friday-after-death-of-maguf). Al
Jazeera. 19 March 2021. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
13. "Tanzania's Samia Suluhu takes presidential oath" (https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/bd/ne
ws/east-africa/tanzania/tanzania-samia-suluhu-presidential-oath-3328214). Business Daily. 19
March 2021.
14. Kiruga, Morris (18 March 2021). "Tanzania: The legacy of Magufuli and the beginning for
Suluhu" (https://www.theafricareport.com/73137/tanzania-the-legacy-of-magufuli-and-the-begin
ning-for-suluhu/). The Africa Report.com. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
15. Tongola, Mate (19 March 2021). "Muslim-Christianity ties that bind Suluhu's choice for deputy"
(https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/politics/article/2001406806/muslim-christianity-ties-that-bind-
suluhus-choice-for-deputy). The Standard. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
16. "Tanzania's Samia Suluhu Hassan sworn in as first female president" (https://economictimes.in
diatimes.com/news/international/world-news/tanzanias-samia-suluhu-hassan-sworn-in-as-first-
female-president/articleshow/81585379.cms?from=mdr). The Economic Times. AFP. 19 March
2021. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
17. "Hon. Wanu Hafidh Ameir" (https://www.zanzibarassembly.go.tz/new-members-cv/hon.wanu-ha
fidh-ameir.php). zanzibarassembly.go.tz. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
18. "Samia Suluhu Hassan - the woman set to become Tanzania's next president" (https://www.bb
c.com/news/world-africa-56444575). BBC News. 18 March 2021. Retrieved 18 March 2021.

External links
Media related to Samia Suluhu at Wikimedia Commons
Professional Newsletter Production by Samia Suluhu et al. (http://academicarchive.snhu.edu/bi
tstream/handle/10474/355/sced2005hassan.pdf?sequence=1), (PDF) 2005, OUT/NSHU.

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This page was last edited on 22 March 2021, at 13:09 (UTC).

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