Tanzania Attorney General Hamza Johari

Hon. Hamza Saidi Johari is the current Attorney General (AG) of the United Republic of Tanzania, sworn in on 9 August 2024 by President Samia Suluhu Hassan. 

He led Tanzania’s legal team at the International Court of Justice over the Migingo Island dispute with Kenya, chaired negotiations for the USD$1.1 billion  Chinese financing for Phase 6 of the Standard Gauge Railway, and oversaw the drafting of the Tanzania Shipping Agency Corporation (TASAC) Amendment Bill to align with African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) protocols.

The AG chaired the Government Negotiation Team that revised and ultimately terminated the concession agreement with Tanzania International Container Terminal Services (TICTS), recovering USD$62 million in disputed royalties. He led the intergovernmental agreement with Dubai for a US$690 million Dar es Salaam Port expansion, followed by the Host Government Agreement, concession, and land lease with DP World (UAE).

In 2024, he finalised a USD$250 million partnership with Adani Ports of India for the development of a container terminal. Other landmark deals under his leadership include amending shareholder agreements with PUMA Energy (raising government equity to 51%), Tanzania International Petroleum Reserves (TIPER), and Progress Rail (USA) for locomotive procurement, as well as securing fuel storage and railway assets.

Hon. Johari served as a visiting lecturer at the University of Dar es Salaam from 2010 to 2023, where he taught international law, as well as at Mzumbe University from 2012 to 2020, and Alexandria University in Egypt from 2016 to 2018, where he taught the law of the sea and international carriage by land, air, and sea.

He led the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Aviation Safety Committee from 2014 to 2019 and the East African Community Civil Aviation Safety and Security Oversight Agency (CASSOA) from 2015 to 2020. He also chaired the Africa Region of the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO) from 2016 to 2022, served on its Global Executive Committee, and led its Legal Committee.

From 2009 to 2018, Hon. Johari served as the Director General of the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority (TCAA). It is reported that under his leadership, Julius Nyerere International Airport achieved Category 1 status under the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, and Tanzania negotiated 28 Bilateral Air Services Agreements, expanding international routes by 45%.

His contributions have earned him nominations for the International Civil Aviation Organisation Edward Warner Award (2019), the East African Community Medal of Honour (2020), and the Tanzania Presidential Distinguished Service Medal (2022).

He has completed various specialised training courses with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) in Montreal, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) in Monaco, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in Geneva, and the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) in Vienna.

He earned his Bachelor of Laws in 1996 and a Master of Laws in International Law in 1998 from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Ukraine. He was subsequently admitted to the Tanzanian Bar in 1999 after completing his Postgraduate Diploma at the Law School of Tanzania. He obtained a Certificate in Leadership and Management from the Administrative Staff College of India in 2008.