Hon. Dr. Tulia Ackson

Hon. Dr. Tulia Ackson has served as the Speaker of the National Assembly of Tanzania since February 1, 2022. She entered Parliament as a presidential appointee by the late President John Magufuli. On October 27, 2023, she was elected President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), a global organisation of national parliaments.

Dr. Ackson attended Mabonde Primary School. Later, she attended Loleza Girls Secondary School for her O-Level studies before joining Zanaki Girls Secondary School for her A-Level education. In 1998, she joined the University of Dar es Salaam, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Laws degree in 2001 and a Master of Laws degree in 2003. She passed her bar examinations in 2004 and received a Certificate in Legal Practice. She went on to pursue her doctoral studies at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, where she earned a PhD in 2007.

Her academic career began at the University of Dar es Salaam in 2001 as a Postgraduate Teaching Assistant. She rose through the ranks: becoming an Assistant Lecturer in 2004, a Lecturer in 2007, and a Senior Lecturer by 2011. From 2009 to 2015, she served two consecutive terms as Associate Dean at the School of Law.

In the public sector, Dr. Ackson was appointed by President Jakaya Kikwete in 2014 to the first Constituent Assembly, representing institutions of higher learning. Later, in 2015, she briefly served as Deputy Attorney General before being appointed as a nominated Member of Parliament by President Magufuli. Dr. Ackson is also affiliated with several professional legal bodies, including the Tanganyika Law Society, East African Law Society, and the Southern African Development Law Society.