Following the death of President John Pombe Magufuli of Tanzania, Vice-president Samia Hassan Suluhu is set to be sworn-in as the new president of the East African country to complete the five-year term of the deceased head of state- as per Tanzania’s 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.”
Profile
Born in 1960 in the Sultanate of Zanzibar, Suluhu has an international education and holds a postgraduate degree in economics among other qualifications.
She was a parliament member for the Makunduchi constituency from 2010 to 15 and has been Minister of State in the Vice-President’s Office for Union Affairs since 2010.
In 2014, she served as the vice-chairperson for the Constitutional Assembly which was tasked with drafting Tanzania’s new constitution.
Suluhu is married to Hafidh Ameir, a retired agriculture officer, and together they have three sons and a daughter.
Their daughter Mwanu Hafidh Ameir is a member of the Zanzibar House of Representatives.
