Samia Suluhu to be sworn in as the first female president in Tanzania

Samia Suluhu Hassan is set to be sworn in as Tanzania’s first female President following the death of President John Pombe Magufuli.

According to the Tanzania Constitution, the Vice President will assume Presidency and will lead for the remainder of the President’s term.

“Where the office of President becomes vacant by reason of death resignation, loss of electoral qualifications or inability to perform his functions due to physical infirmity, or failure to discharge the duties and functions of the office of President, then the Vice-President shall be sworn in and become the President for the unexpired period of the term of five years and in accordance with the conditions set out,” states the constitution.

Thereafter, the National Assembly will confirm the appointment by votes of not less than fifty per cent of all the Members of Parliament.

Magufuli was re-elected for a second term on October 31, 2020 amid fraud claims by the opposition.

Before her tenure as Tanzania’s VP, Suluhu was an MP for Makunduchi constituency from 2010 to 2015 and has been Minister of State in the Vice-President’s Office for Union Affairs since 2010.

Suluhu was born in the Sultanate of Zanzibar and after completing her secondary education in 1977, she was employed by the Ministry of Planning and Development as a clerk.

She schooled in Zanzibar and studied statistics at the Zanzibar Institute of Financial Administration.