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 on January 27, 1960) is an important politician from Tanzania. She is currently the sixth President of Tanzania, a role she has held since March 19, 2021. She made history as the first woman to become president of the country. Before becoming president, she was the Vice-President from 2015 to 2021. She became president after the death of the previous president, John Magufuli.

Samia Suluhu Hassan comes from Zanzibar. She worked as a minister in the Zanzibar government from 2000 to 2010. Later, she became a Member of Parliament for the Makunduchi area from 2010 to 2015. During this time, she also served as a Minister of State. In 2014, she helped lead a group that was writing a new constitution for Tanzania. She became Tanzania's first female Vice-President after the 2015 election, running with President Magufuli. They were both re-elected for a second term in 2020.

As president, Samia Suluhu Hassan has worked on many important things. She introduced plans to help stop the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in Tanzania. She also focused on building more roads and other important structures. She worked to connect Tanzania's economy with the rest of the world by encouraging visitors and businesses to come to the country.

Growing Up and Learning

Samia Suluhu Hassan was born in Zanzibar on January 27, 1960. Her parents were a teacher and his wife. A few years after she was born, Zanzibar joined with another region to create the country of Tanzania. She finished high school in 1977 and started working as an office clerk.

In 1978, she married Hafidh Ameir, who worked in agriculture. They have four children together: three sons and one daughter. Their daughter, Wanu Hafidh Ameir, has also become involved in politics in Zanzibar.

Samia Suluhu Hassan continued her education over the years. In 1986, she earned a special diploma in public administration from what is now Mzumbe University. She later studied economics at the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom. In 2015, she earned a master's degree in Community Economic Development.

Before entering national politics, she worked for the Zanzibar government as a development officer. She also managed projects for the World Food Programme, which helps feed people around the world. In the 1990s, she oversaw groups that help communities in Zanzibar.

Journey in Politics

Samia Suluhu Hassan began her political career in 2000. She became a member of the Zanzibar House of Representatives with the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party. There, she was chosen to be Zanzibar's Minister for Youth Employment, Women, and Children. In this role, she made an important change, allowing new mothers to return to school. She was re-elected in 2005 and became the Minister for Tourism and Trade Investment.

In 2010, Samia Suluhu Hassan was elected to the National Assembly, which is Tanzania's main parliament. She won by a large number of votes in the Makunduchi area. President Jakaya Kikwete then appointed her as a Minister of State. In 2014, she helped lead the group that was creating a new constitution for the country.

She was chosen as the candidate for Vice-President for the CCM party in the 2015 election. She ran alongside presidential candidate John Magufuli. This was a big moment because she was the first woman to be a running mate for the party. They won the election, and she became the first female Vice-President of Tanzania on November 5, 2015. President Magufuli and Vice-President Suluhu were re-elected for a second term in the 2020 election.

Leading Tanzania as President

Becoming President

On March 17, 2021, Samia Suluhu Hassan announced that President Magufuli had passed away. She was then sworn in as President on March 19, 2021. She took over to finish the rest of his second term. After becoming president, she reviewed a military parade held in her honor. In her first speech, she announced a period of mourning for President Magufuli.

President Suluhu chose Philip Mpango, who was the Minister of Finance, to be her Vice-President. She also made some changes in the government, bringing in new people and restoring others who had previously served. This helped her to build her own team and strengthen her leadership.

When she became president, Samia Suluhu Hassan made history. She was not only Tanzania's first female president but also the second person from Zanzibar to hold this high office. At that time, she was one of only a few women leading countries in Africa.

Presidential Administration and Key Actions

A map highlighting the countries Suluhu has visited while president

The COVID-19 pandemic was happening when President Suluhu took office. She changed Tanzania's approach to the pandemic. She helped Tanzania join the COVAX program to get COVID-19 vaccines starting in July 2021. She also put in place rules for travelers to help prevent the spread of new virus types.

As president, Suluhu has continued important development projects started by the previous government. She also approved new projects. Some of her main goals include building new railway lines and hydropower plants. She also works to make sure people in rural areas have electricity and clean water.

To encourage tourism and attract businesses to Tanzania, President Suluhu filmed a movie called The Royal Tour in 2021. In September 2021, she spoke at the United Nations General Assembly, becoming the fifth African woman to do so. In 2022, she attended Expo 2020 to promote Tanzanian products and opportunities, signing a business deal with Dubai.

Suluhu with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, 2022

President Suluhu has focused on building stronger relationships with other countries. She has welcomed investors and tourists to Tanzania. She also took a neutral position on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, encouraging peace talks. In 2022, the American magazine Time recognized her as one of the top 100 most influential people in the world.

Leadership Style

Many people describe President Suluhu as "soft-spoken." She is known for working with her advisors and making decisions together. Some compare her style to a previous president, Jakaya Kikwete, who also worked well with different political groups. People sometimes call her "Mama Samia," which shows respect for her leadership. She has highlighted her role as a woman leader to encourage unity in politics.

When she became president, many hoped she would bring more openness to the government. She has taken steps to increase freedom of speech and freedom of the press. This included meeting with leaders from other political parties and allowing some newspapers to reopen. She also lifted a ban on political gatherings in 2023.

Re-election as President

In January 2025, the CCM party chose Samia Suluhu Hassan as their candidate for the 2025 Tanzanian general election. The election took place in October 2025, and it was announced in November 2025 that she had won the election.

Honours, Awards, and Recognition

Suluhu receiving 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".
• 2025: International Military Sports Council Order of Merit (Grand Cordon)

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