President Samia Suluhu:

As Tanzania heads towards its general election this October, President Samia Suluhu Hassan will be on the ballot for the first time, following her endorsement by the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) as its sole presidential candidate. If she secures victory, Mama Suluhu will become Tanzania’s first democratically elected female president, solidifying her legacy as a trailblazer in the country’s political history.

Suluhu ascended to the presidency in March 2021 following the sudden death of President John Magufuli. Before that, she had served as vice president since 2015, making history as the first woman in Tanzania to hold the position.

A distinguished stateswoman, in September 2021, Suluhu was among the few female African leaders to address the United Nations General Assembly. In her speech, she strongly criticised global inequalities in COVID-19 vaccine distribution. Unlike her predecessor, she implemented stricter COVID-19 protocols, including mandatory quarantines for travellers from high-risk countries.

Born on January 27, 1960, in Zanzibar—then a sultanate and now part of the United Republic of Tanzania—Suluhu began her career as a clerk at the Ministry of Planning and Development in 1977. She later pursued a Diploma in Public Administration from the Institute of Development Management (now Mzumbe University). Upon graduating in 1986, she joined the World Food Programme (WFP) as a Project Manager.

In 1994, she earned a Postgraduate Diploma in Economics from the University of Manchester, further strengthening her expertise in governance and policy. Her entry into politics came in 2000 when she joined CCM and was appointed Minister for Youth Employment, Women, and Children’s Development in the Zanzibar Government. She later served as Minister for Tourism, Trade, and Investment (2005-2010) before being appointed Minister of State for Union Affairs (2010-2015).

In 2015, she made history again when CCM’s presidential candidate, John Magufuli, chose her as his running mate, making her Tanzania’s first female vice president. The duo was re-elected for a second term in 2020, but Magufuli’s unexpected death in March 2021 propelled her to the presidency, in line with the Tanzanian Constitution.