Profile of Samia Suluhu: How She Became Tanzania’s First Female President

Samia Suluhu Hassan is Tanzania’s sixth and current president, having assumed office on March 19, 2021. She is the first woman to serve as Tanzania’s president and the first Tanzanian president born in Zanzibar.

Before becoming president, Hassan served as Tanzania’s vice-president from 2015 to 2021 under President John Magufuli. She rose to the presidency following Magufuli’s death in March 2021.

She was born on January 27, 1960, in Zanzibar, four years before Zanzibar and other islands joined Tanganyika to form the United Republic of Tanzania.

Samia completed her secondary schooling in 1977. She then began working in various positions while continuing her education.

Hassan earned an advanced diploma in public administration from the Institute of Development Management, now Mzumbe University, in 1986.

In 1994, she earned a postgraduate diploma in economics from the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom.

She later obtained a master’s degree in community economic development through a joint programme between the Open University of Tanzania and Southern New Hampshire University in the United States.

Samia Suluhu Early Career

Hassan began her career as an office clerk in Tanzania’s Ministry of Planning and Development in 1977.

She later worked on projects with the World Food Programme and held various positions within the Zanzibar government.

Her public service career eventually paved the way for her entry into elective politics under Tanzania’s ruling party, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM).

Entry Into Politics

Samia Suluhu made her political debut after being elected as a member of the Zanzibar House of Representatives. She was appointed a minister and was later re-elected in 2005, receiving another ministerial portfolio.

In 2010, she entered national politics after being elected to Tanzania’s National Assembly to represent the Makunduchi constituency.

While serving in Parliament, she was appointed Minister of State for Union Affairs by then-President Jakaya Kikwete.

In 2014, she was named vice-chair of the Constitutional Assembly, which was tasked with writing Tanzania’s new constitution.

Becoming Vice-President

Suluhu’s political profile grew when she was selected as the running mate of CCM presidential candidate John Magufuli in the October 2015 election.

Magufuli and Samia Suluhu won the election, and she was inaugurated as vice-president on November 5, 2015.

She became Tanzania’s first woman to hold the vice-presidential position. The pair won another term in the October 2020 election.

Also Read:Museveni Pens Down Emotional Message to Suluhu After Husband’s Death

Rise to the Presidency

Magufuli’s second term was overshadowed by concerns about his increasingly autocratic tendencies and his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

On March 17, 2021, Hassan announced that Magufuli had died from heart-related complications after weeks of rumours about his health.

She was sworn in as president on March 19, 2021, completing the remainder of Magufuli’s term. Her ascension made her Tanzania’s first female president.

Changing Tanzania’s COVID-19 Approach

After taking office, she moved to address the country’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Her government recommended social distancing and the wearing of masks in public.

She also encouraged Tanzanians to get vaccinated and publicly received a COVID-19 vaccine to boost confidence in vaccination.

Hassan also reversed some of Magufuli’s more restrictive policies. Her government lifted bans on print and broadcast media and rescinded a policy that had prevented pregnant girls from attending school.

Also Read:President Samia Suluhu’s Husband Dies

Political Reforms and the 4Rs

Improving Tanzania’s political climate became another focus of her presidency. She formed a task force on political reform and democracy, which collected views and suggestions from civil society, the media and other leaders before presenting its recommendations.

Suluhu described her approach through the “4Rs”-reconciliation, resilience, reforms and rebuilding.

In early 2023, she loosened restrictions on opposition parties by lifting a ban on political rallies that her predecessor had imposed six years earlier.

She also made efforts to improve Tanzania’s relations with other East African countries. However, she later faced criticism for what critics described as increasingly authoritarian tendencies.

She was re-elected in October 2025 in an election that observers characterized as not free or fair.

Family

Samia Suluhu married Hafidh Ameir in 1978. Ameir was a retired agricultural officer and academic who served as Tanzania’s first First Gentleman.

The couple had four children- three sons and one daughter. Their daughter, Wanu Hafidh Ameir, was born in 1982.

She is a politician who has served in the Zanzibar House of Representatives and as a government official.

Hassan’s son-in-law, Mohamed Mchengerwa, has served in ministerial Cabinet positions, including at the Ministry of Health. Hafidh Ameir died on September 7, 2026.

Net Worth

Independent public estimates have placed Hassan’s net worth between $1 million and $2 million.

The estimates attribute her wealth largely to public service salaries, properties and land investments accumulated over her decades-long career.

As president, her official salary follows standard regional head-of-state remuneration, estimated to translate to more than $40,000 to $50,000 annually, adjusted to local salary scales.

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Photo of Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu during a discussion with the Rwandan President in State House on May 3, 2026
PHOTO/PCS