Samia Suluhu has been sworn in as President of Tanzania after the death Magafuli

Last updated on September 11th, 2021 at 08:00 am

Tanzania’s first female president Samia Suluhu Hassan was sworn in after former President Magafuli died.  Vice President Samia Suluhu Hassan was sworn in on Friday as the country’s first female president, two days after the death of President John Magufuli who was one of Africa’s most skeptical personalities.

Tanzania is facing a new era and a new president as Friday saw the re-emergence of a new Tanzanian leadership post with the swearing in of the first-ever president, SamiaSuluhu Hassan. The inauguration was attended by cabinet members and former presidents of the Dares Salaam presidential palace.

T Ms. Samia, 61, was Magufuli’s vice president and was first re-elected in 2015. She will serve the remaining four years of the Magufuli term ending in October 2025. Some Tanzanians say Hassan’s new leadership could lead to positive change in the country.

Samia announced the death of Magufuli, 61, in a televised speech on Wednesday saying he had “died of a heart attack for more than 10 years” and it was suspected that President Magafuli had died of Covid 19 but the government has denied the allegations.

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However the announcement ended days of speculation about his health, including rumors that he was ill with Covid-19. Magufuli has not been seen since February 27th.

Described as a man of constructive ideology, Hassan will also be the first president of the country born in Zanzibar, the islands part of the union of the Republic of Tanzania, Reuters reported.

SamiaSuluhu’s inauguration comes two days after announcing the death of President John Magufuli, who has not been seen in public for more than two weeks. In her first public speech, she declared 21 days of mourning for Magufuli and public holidays on March 22 and his funeral day on March 25.