Samia Suluhu Hassan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Her Excellency Samia Suluhu Hassan
Suluhu in 2021
6th President of Tanzania
Incumbent
Assumed office 19 March 2021
Prime Minister	Kassim Majaliwa
Vice President	Philip Mpango
Preceded by	John Magufuli
Third Vice Chairperson of the African Union
Incumbent
Assumed office 15 February 2025
President	Joao Lourenco
10th Vice-President of Tanzania
In office 5 November 2015 – 19 March 2021
President	John Magufuli
Preceded by	Mohamed Gharib Bilal
Succeeded by	Philip Mpango
Minister of State for Union Affairs in the Vice President's Office
In office November 2010 – November 2015
President	Jakaya Kikwete
Preceded by	Muhammed Seif Khatib
Succeeded by	January Makamba
Member of Parliament for Makunduchi
In office November 2010 – July 2015
Succeeded by	Ameir Timbe
Minister of Tourism, Trade and Investment
In office 2005–2010
President	Amani Karume
Preceded by	Mussa Silima
Succeeded by	Said Ali Mbarouk
Personal details
Born	(1960-01-27) 27 January 1960 (age 65) Makunduchi, Sultanate of Zanzibar
Political party	Chama Cha Mapinduzi
Spouse	Hafidh Ameir ​ (m. 1978)​
Children	4, including Wanu Hafidh Ameir
Education	Mzumbe University (AdvDip) University of Manchester (PGDip) Open University of Tanzania (MSc)
Signature

Samia Suluhu Hassan (born 27 January 1960) is a leading politician from Tanzania. She became the sixth and current President of Tanzania on 19 March 2021. She is the first woman to hold this important position.

Before becoming president, she served as the Vice-President from 2015 to 2021. She took over the presidency after the death of the previous president, John Magufuli.

Samia Suluhu Hassan was born in Zanzibar. She worked as a minister in the semi-independent region of Zanzibar from 2000 to 2010. Later, she was a Member of Parliament for the Makunduchi area from 2010 to 2015. She also served as a Minister of State for Union Affairs. In 2014, she helped draft Tanzania's new constitution.

She became Tanzania's first female vice-president in 2015. This happened after she was elected with John Magufuli. They were re-elected for a second term in 2020. As president, she has worked to improve democracy and public health in Tanzania.

Early Life and Education

Samia Suluhu Hassan was born in Sultanate of Zanzibar on 27 January 1960. Her father was a teacher. Four years later, Zanzibar joined with Tanganyika to form the country of Tanzania.

She finished her high school education in 1977. After that, she started working as an office clerk. In 1978, she married Hafidh Ameir, who worked in agriculture. They have four children, three sons and one daughter. Their daughter, Wanu Hafidh Ameir, born in 1982, later became a member of the Zanzibar House of Representatives.

Samia Suluhu Hassan continued her studies part-time. In 1986, she earned a diploma in public administration. She studied at the Institute of Development Management, which is now Mzumbe University. From 1992 to 1994, she attended the University of Manchester and earned a postgraduate diploma in economics. In 2015, she received her Master of Science degree. She earned this through a program between the Open University of Tanzania and Southern New Hampshire University.

In 1988, she became a development officer for the Zanzibar government. She also worked as a project manager for the World Food Programme. In the 1990s, she was in charge of a group that managed non-governmental organizations in Zanzibar.

Political Journey

In 2000, Samia Suluhu Hassan became a special member of the Zanzibar House of Representatives. She was part of the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party. There, she was made Zanzibar's Minister for Youth Employment, Women and Children. In this role, she allowed new mothers to return to school. She was the only high-ranking woman minister in the cabinet at that time.

She was re-elected in 2005. Then, she was appointed as the Minister for Tourism and Trade Investment.

Becoming a Member of Parliament

In 2010, Suluhu ran for election to the National Assembly. She represented the Makunduchi area and won by a large margin. President Jakaya Kikwete then appointed her as the Minister of State for Union Affairs. In 2014, she was chosen to be the Vice-Chairperson of the group that was writing the country's new constitution.

Vice President of Tanzania

Samia Suluhu Hassan was chosen as the vice-presidential candidate for the CCM party in the 2015 Tanzanian general election. She ran alongside presidential candidate John Magufuli. Her selection was a surprise, as she was the first female running mate in the party's history. They won the election and were sworn in on 5 November 2015. This made Suluhu the first female Vice-President of Tanzania.

Suluhu and Magufuli were re-elected in the 2020 Tanzanian general election.

President of Tanzania

Map highlighting countries Suluhu visited while president

President Suluhu with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni

Taking Office

On 17 March 2021, Suluhu announced that President Magufuli had passed away. She was sworn in as president on 19 March 2021. She took office to complete the rest of his second term. Immediately after being sworn in, she reviewed troops in a military parade. In her first speech as president, she announced three weeks of mourning for Magufuli.

President Suluhu chose Minister of Finance Philip Mpango as her vice-president. She also made changes to her government. She brought back people who had been removed by the previous president. She also worked with former president Jakaya Kikwete to strengthen her position.

When she became president, Suluhu was the first female president of Tanzania. She was also the second person from Zanzibar to hold the position. At that time, she was one of only two serving female heads of state in Africa.

Leading the Country

When Suluhu became president, the COVID-19 pandemic was still a major issue. She changed the country's approach to the pandemic. She joined Tanzania in the COVAX program to get COVID-19 vaccines. This started in July 2021. She also allowed embassies to bring in vaccines for their staff.

President Suluhu has promised to finish major development projects started by the previous government. She has also approved new projects. These include building a railway line, a hydropower plant, and providing electricity and clean water in rural areas.

In early 2021, Suluhu filmed a movie called The Royal Tour. This movie aimed to promote tourism and attract investors to Tanzania. In September 2021, she spoke at the United Nations General Assembly. In January 2022, she reorganized her cabinet. She wanted to ensure it included people loyal to her.

Suluhu has adopted a more international approach. She wants to attract investors and tourists. In 2022, she attended Expo 2020 to promote Tanzanian products. She signed a business deal with Dubai. She has also taken a neutral stance on the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

In 2022, Time magazine named Suluhu among the top 100 most influential people in the world. She is expected to run for re-election in the 2025 Tanzanian general election.

Her Leadership Style

Many observers describe Suluhu as "soft-spoken." She has also mentioned her quiet nature. She is known for working with her advisors rather than making decisions alone. She is sometimes called Mama Samia, which shows respect. Suluhu has highlighted her femininity as part of her presidency. She believes it helps create political unity.

When she became president, many saw her as a leader who would bring more democracy. She took steps to increase freedom of speech and freedom of the press. These actions aimed to reverse previous policies and improve Tanzania's global image. She released political prisoners and met with opposition leaders. She also reopened newspapers that had been closed. In 2023, she lifted a ban on political rallies.

However, some critics say she has not challenged all authoritarian laws. She chose not to change the constitution when she took office. She said the economy was not strong enough for such changes.

Reelection Campaign

In January 2025, the CCM party nominated Suluhu as its presidential candidate. She will run in the 2025 Tanzanian general election in October.

Awards and Recognition

Suluhu receiving an honorary doctorate at Jawaharlal Nehru University, October 2023

Honours

Year	Country	Order
2023	South Africa	Order of South Africa
2024	Tanzania ( Zanzibar)	Order of the Revolution for Leaders with Unique Characteristics
2025	United Arab Emirates	Order of the Mother of the Nation

Awards

• 2022: Africa Road Builders – Babacar Ndiaye Trophy
• 2022: CARE International – CARE Impact Award for Women's Inspirational Leadership
• 2023: Key to the City of Lilongwe
• 2023: Ranked in Forbes list of "World's 100 most powerful women".

Honorary Academic Awards

Year	University	Country	Honour
2022	University of Dar es Salaam	Tanzania	Doctor of Letters (D.Litt) (Honoris Causa)
2023	Jawaharlal Nehru University	India	Doctor of Philosophy (Honoris Causa)
2023	State University of Zanzibar	Tanzania	Doctor of Philosophy in Tourism Management and Marketing (Honoris Causa)
2024	Ankara University	Turkey	Honorary Doctorate in Economics (Honoris Causa)
2024	Korea Aerospace University	South Korea	Doctor of Philosophy in Aviation Management (Honoris Causa)
2024	Mzumbe University	Tanzania	Honoris causa

Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Samia Suluhu para niños