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President of the United Republic of Tanzania
Flag of the President of Tanzania.svg
Presidential Standard
Coat of arms of Tanzania.svg
Coat of arms of Tanzania
International leaders sign joint statement at COP26 (51649202102) (Suluhu crop).jpg
Incumbent
Samia Suluhu Hassan

since 19 March 2021
Executive branch of the Government of Tanzania
Style Her Excellency
Mheshimiwa Rais  (Swahili)
Member of Cabinet
Residence Ikulu
Seat Dodoma
Term length Five years,
renewable once
Constituting instrument Constitution of Tanzania (1977)
Formation 29 October 1964; 60 years ago (1964-10-29)
First holder Julius Nyerere
Deputy Vice-President of Tanzania
Salary 98,287,560 Tanzanian shilling/US$42,000 annually


The President of the United Republic of Tanzania is the most powerful leader in the country of Tanzania. In Swahili, the official language, this title is Rais wa Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania. The president is both the head of state, representing the country to the world, and the head of government, running the country's day-to-day affairs.

The current president is Samia Suluhu Hassan. She became the first female president of Tanzania on March 19, 2021. She took office after the death of the previous president, John Magufuli.

The President's Job

The president has many important responsibilities. They are in charge of the Armed Forces, which means they are the commander-in-chief. The president leads the executive branch of the government. This means they are responsible for making sure the laws of the country are carried out.

The president's actions are watched over by a legislature, which is a group of elected officials who represent the people of Tanzania.

How Long Can a President Serve?

A president in Tanzania is elected for a five-year term. The Constitution of Tanzania states that a president can only be elected for two terms in total. This two-term limit was first applied to President Ali Hassan Mwinyi in 1995. This rule makes sure that different people have the chance to lead the country.

History of Tanzania's Presidents

After Tanzania, then called Tanganyika, gained independence in 1961, its first leader was a governor-general. In 1962, Julius Nyerere became the country's first president.

In 1964, Tanganyika joined with Zanzibar to become the United Republic of Tanzania. Since then, Tanzania has had six presidents. President Nyerere served for a very long time, from 1962 until 1985. All of Tanzania's presidents have come from the same political party. It was first called the Tanganyika African National Union and later merged to become the Chama Cha Mapinduzi party.

The 2020 Presidential Election

The most recent presidential election was held in 2020. John Magufuli of the Chama cha Mapinduzi party won with over 12.5 million votes. His main opponent, Tundu Lissu of the Chadema party, received about 1.9 million votes. There were several other candidates, but they received far fewer votes.

See also

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