Following the recent death of Tanzania’s President, John Magufuli, Vice President, Samia Suluhu Hassan, is expected to be sworn in as the country’s first female president.
According to a televised announcement made by the Vice-President Hassan, Magufuli died of heart attack, after weeks of speculations he had contracted COVID-19.
According to the Tanzanian Constitution; “Where the office of President becomes vacant by reason of death, then the Vice-President shall be sworn in and become the President for the unexpired period of the term of five years.”
This translates to the fact that Samia Suluhu Hassan, the 61-year-old vice-president, will take over until 2025 as the sixth president of Tanzania.
Suluhu will not only be Tanzania’s first female president but also the first female president in East Africa.
She was born on January 27, 1960 and she was an MP for Makunduchi constituency between 2010 and 2015.
Between 2005-2010, she served as a Minister for Tourism, Trade and Investment and from 2000-2005, she served as Minister of Youth Employment, Women and Children Development.
She decided to join politics in 2000 and was elected as a special seat member to the Zanzibar House of Representatives.
