Tanzania’s general elections took place on October 29, 2025, with President Samia Suluhu Hassan expected to retain her seat.
The electoral body is preparing to announce the results of the presidential and parliamentary polls. However, the election period has been tense, marred by protests and dissent.
Key opposition figures were barred from contesting against her, resulting in controversy.
More than 37 million registered voters were eligible to cast their ballots. Amid this national focus, little is known about the private life and unassuming political ascent of the nation’s first female president.
The Quiet Life of the First Gentleman
As per the BBC, President Hassan married her husband, Hafidh Ameir, in 1978. Ameir is an agricultural academic and is now a retired agricultural officer.
Despite his wife holding the highest office, Ameir has maintained a remarkably low profile. He is known to be public-shy and has rarely been seen in public with the President.
When Suluhu took the oath of office in March 2021, Ameir became the nation’s first gentleman.
The couple is blessed with four children, including one daughter and three sons.
A Daughter’s Political Footsteps
One of their children, Mwanu Hafidh Ameir (also known as Wanu Hafidh Ameir), followed her mother into politics.
She currently serves as a member of the Zanzibar House of Representatives. Mwanu Hafidh Ameir is their secondborn, born in 1982.
She has been a special seat member of the Zanzibar House of Representatives since 2005.
President Hassan is herself a product of Zanzibar, a semi-autonomous archipelago where she was born on January 27, 1960. Her father worked as a school teacher, and her mother was a housewife.
The Unassuming Political Ascent
Samia Suluhu Hassan’s early career did not hint at the presidential office. She graduated from high school but later publicly stated that her results were poor. At 17, she took a clerkship in a government office.
She pursued advanced studies in public administration at Mzumbe University, graduating in 1986.
She later obtained a postgraduate diploma in economics from the University of Manchester between 1992 and 1994. She also worked for the United Nations’ World Food Programme (WFP).
Her political career began in 2000. She was nominated by the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party to a special seat in the Zanzibar House of Representatives.
She rose through the ranks, serving as a minister in Zanzibar. In 2010, she was elected to the National Assembly on mainland Tanzania.
In 2015, John Magufuli selected her as his running mate. She made history that year by being sworn in as the country’s first female Vice President.
Upon Magufuli’s death in March 2021, she was unexpectedly thrust into the presidency, becoming Tanzania’s first female head of state.
Navigating Controversy
The ongoing 2025 election follows a period where the political space has narrowed. The voting process saw violent clashes between police and protesters in Dar es Salaam.
A curfew was imposed in the main city following the unrest. The opposition accused the government of undermining democracy.
Despite these issues, analysts noted that her leadership style contrasts sharply with her predecessor’s.
The soft-spoken politician has previously described her method of governance.
“I may look polite, and do not shout when speaking, but the most important thing is that everyone understands what I say and things get done as I say.”
by moses sagwe
