Samia Suluhu Hassan has been sworn in as the President of United Republic of Tanzania following the death of President John Magufuli on Wednesday.
She becomes the first Vice President in the East African country to ascend to the top post.
This is the biography of the new President of Tanzania, Ms Samia Suluhu Hassan, according to Vice President’s Office website http://vpo.go.tz/index.php/biographies/bio1.
Samia Suluhu Hassan, the President of United Republic of Tanzania was born in Zanzibar on 27 January, 1960.
Education Background
Samia Suluhu Hassan received Primary Education in different schools including Chwaka Primary School in Unguja (1966 to 1968), Ziwani Primary school in Pemba (1970 to 1971) and Mahonda Primary School in Unguja in 1972.
From 1973 to 1975, Samia joined Ngambo and Lumumba Secondary School in Unguja. After secondary education in 1977 she joined The Zanzibar Institute of Financial Administration (ZIFA) for Statistics studies.
After studies she was employed by the Ministry of Planning and Development. In 1986 she joined the Institute of Development Management- IDM (present Mzumbe University) in Morogoro for advanced studies in Public Administration.
After various studies in Tanzania President Samia joined the National Institute of Public Administration in Lahore, Pakistan. In 1991 she joined the Institute of Management for Leaders, Hyderabad in India for a Certificate Management Course.
After studies in 1992, she was employed in a Project funded by the World Food Programme (WFP). She attended the University of Manchester in London for graduate studies to pursue Postgraduate Diploma in Economics.
In 2004 -2005, she progressed to Masters Degree in Community Economic Development through a joint-programme between the Open University of Tanzania and the Southern New Hampshire University,USA.
Political Career
In 2000, Samia was elected as a member of the Zanzibar House of Representative for special seat and appointed as Minister by President Amani Karume. She was the only high-ranking woman Minister in the Cabinet.
In 2005 she was re-elected and appointed as a Minister in another portfolio.
In 2010, she contested and won by more than 80 percent and represented Makunduchi constituency. In 2014, then President of United Republic of Tanzania Dr. Jakaya Kikwete appointed her as a Minister of State for Union Matters. In the same year, she was elected as the Vice Chairperson of the Constitutional Assembly, tasked with drafting the country’s new constitution.
In July 2015, the Ruling Party (CCM) Presidential nominee late Dr John Magufuli named Samia as his running mate for the 2015 General election, making her the first female running mate in the party’s history.
CCM won the election and Samia became the first female President of United Republic of Tanzania. In the 2020 election, CCM got a landslide won as she retained her post as the Vice President.
In March, 2021, Samia sworn as President of Tanzania, filling the vacuum left by the fallen President John Magufuli.