Samia Suluhu Hassan

Samia Suluhu Hassan
6th President of Tanzania
Assumed office
18 March 2021
Prime MinisterKassim Majaliwa
Vice PresidentPhilip Mpango
Preceded byJohn Magufuli
10th Vice-President of Tanzania
In office
5 November 2015 – 18 March 2021
PresidentJohn Magufuli
Preceded byMohamed Gharib Bilal
Succeeded byPhilip Mpango
Minister of State for Union Affairs for the Vice-President's Office
In office
29 November 2010 – 5 November 2015
PresidentJakaya Kikwete
Preceded byMuhammed Seif Khatib
Succeeded byJanuary Makamba
Member of Parliament
for Makunduchi
In office
November 2010 – July 2015
Succeeded byAmeir Timbe
Zanzibar Minister of Tourism,
Trade and Investment
In office
2005–2010
PresidentAmani Karume
Preceded byMussa A. Silima
Succeeded bySaid Ali Mbarouk
Zanzibar Minister of Labour, Gender Development and Children
In office
2000–2005
PresidentAmani Karume
Personal details
Born (1960-01-27) 27 January 1960 (age 66)
Sultanate of Zanzibar
NationalityTanzanian
Political partyCCM
Spouse(s)
Hafidh Ameir
​
​
(m. 1978; died 2026)​
Children4
Alma materIDM, Mzumbe (AdvDip}
Manchester (PGDip)
Open University of Tanzania–SNHU (MSc)
TwitterSuluhuSamia
Websitewww.samia.or.tz

Samia Suluhu Hassan (born 27 January 1960) is a Tanzanian politician who has been the 6th President of Tanzania since 2021. She became president following the death of president John Magufuli on 17 March 2021. Suluhu is the country's first female president.

She became Tanzania's first female vice-President following the 2015 General election, after being elected on the CCM ticket along with president John Magufuli.

In September 2021, Samia Suluhu confirmed that she planned to run for president in 2025. In the 2025 general election, her CCM government banned the main opposition party, Chadema, from taking part; the leader of the party, Tundu Lissu, was charged with treason and arrested. Despite being elected as a reformer, she is seen as an authoritarian leader, with Tanzania sliding deeper into a dictatorial-style of governance.

Notes

  1. ↑ Sources:

References

  1. ↑ "John Magufuli: Tanzania's president dies aged 61 after health rumours". BBC News. 17 March 2021.
  2. ↑ "Samia Suluhu set to become Tanzania's first female president". The East African. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  3. ↑ "Two flawed elections show the dangers of one-party rule". The Economist. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved 24 October 2025.
  4. ↑ Muhammad, Baba Yunus. "President Samia Suluhu Hassan and Tanzania's Descent into Authoritarianism". The Islamic Economist.
  5. ↑ "Tanzania on the Road to Dictatorship? - Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung". www.rosalux.de. 2025-07-17. Retrieved 2025-11-14.
  6. ↑ "Tanzania: back to the authoritarian routine". CIVICUS LENS. 2025-06-11. Retrieved 2025-11-14.
  7. ↑ "Samia Suluhu Hassan: Tanzania's disputed president". DW. Retrieved 2025-11-09.
  8. ↑ "Is Samia Suluhu Hassan Africa's most disappointing president?". The Economist. 2026. ISSN 0013-0613.
  9. ↑ "Tanzania: Events of 2025", Human Rights Watch, 2026-01-14, retrieved 2026-05-28
  10. ↑ Mureithi, Carlos (2024-12-09). "Tanzania opposition laments its 'naivety' over president as repression intensifies". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2026-05-28.
  11. ↑ "Tanzania: Freedom in the World 2026 Country Report". Freedom House. Retrieved 2026-05-28.
  12. ↑ "Don't welcome Africa's newest despot". The Economist. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved 2026-05-28.