Samia Suluhu

Samia Suluhu
10th Vice President of Tanzania
Assumed office
5 November 2015
President John Magufuli
Preceded by Mohamed Gharib Bilal
Minister of State for Union Affairs
In office
28 November 2010 – 5 November 2015
President Jakaya Kikwete
Preceded by Muhammed Seif Khatib
Member of Parliament
for Makunduchi
In office
November 2010 – July 2015
Succeeded by Ameir Timbe
Zanzibar Minister of Tourism,
Trade and Investment
In office
2005–2010
President Amani Karume
Zanzibar Minister of Labour, Gender Development and Children
In office
2000–2005
President Amani Karume
Personal details
Born (1960-01-27) 27 January 1960
Sultanate of Zanzibar
Nationality Tanzanian
Political party CCM
Spouse(s) Hafidh Ameir (m. 1978)
Children 4
Alma mater IDM, Mzumbe (AdvDip)
Manchester (PGDip)
OUT–SNHU (MSc)
Religion Islam
Twitter handle SuluhuSamia
Website www.samia.or.tz

Samia Hassan Suluhu (born 27 January 1960) is a Tanzanian CCM politician. She served as the Member of Parliament for Makunduchi constituency from 2010 to 2015 and has been Minister of State in the Vice President's Office for Union Affairs since 2010. She became Tanzania's first-ever female Vice President after she was announced Vice President of Tanzania in the 2015 General Elections, alongside John Magufuli the President.[1]

Prior to this, she served as a minister in the semi-autonomous region of Zanzibar in the administration of President Amani Karume. In 2014, she was elected as the Vice Chairperson of the Constituent Assembly tasked with drafting the country's new constitution.

Early life and career

Suluhu was born in the Sultanate of Zanzibar. After completing her secondary education in 1977, she was employed by the Ministry of Planning and Development as a clerk. She pursued a number of short-courses on a part-time basis. In 1986, she graduated from the Institute of Development Management (present-day Mzumbe University) with an advanced diploma in public administration.[1]

Upon graduation, she was employed on a project funded by the World Food Programme. Between 1992 and 1994, she attended the University of Manchester and graduated with a postgraduate diploma in economics.[2] In 2015, she obtained her MSc in Community Economic Development via a joint-programme between the Open University of Tanzania and the Southern New Hampshire University.[1]

Political career

In 2000, she decided to join politics. She was elected as a special seat member to the Zanzibar House of Representatives and was appointed a minister by President Amani Karume. She was the only high-ranking woman minister in the cabinet and was "looked down on" by her male colleagues because of her gender.[2] She was re-elected in 2005 and was re-appointed as a minister in another portfolio.[3]

In 2010, she sought election to the National Assembly, standing in the parliamentary constituency of Makunduchi and winning by more than 80%.[3] President Jakaya Kikwete appointed her as the Minister of State for Union Affairs.[4] In 2014, she was elected as the Vice Chairperson of the Constituent Assembly tasked with drafting the country's new constitution.[5]

In July 2015, CCM's presidential nominee John Magufuli chose her as his running mate for the 2015 election,[6] making her the first female running mate in the party's history.[7] She subsequently became the first female vice president in the history of the country upon Magufuli's victory in the election.[8]

Personal life

In 1978, she married Hafidh Ameir, at present a retired agricultural officer. They have four children.[2] Her second born, Wanu Hafidh Ameir (born 1982), is a special seat member of the Zanzibar House of Representatives.[9]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Member of Parliament CV". Parliament of Tanzania. Retrieved 19 February 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 Mwakyusa, Alvar (18 September 2014). "Samia Suluhu Hassan: A tough journey from activism to politics". Daily News. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
  3. 1 2 Mwakyusa, Alvar (18 September 2014). "Tanzania: Samia Suluhu Hassan - a Tough Journey From Activism to Politics". AllAfrica. Retrieved 16 November 2016.
  4. ↑ "Tanzania: History Made as Samia Picked Running Mate". AllAfrica. 13 July 2015. Retrieved 16 November 2016.
  5. ↑ Mwakyusa, Alvar (14 March 2014). "Tanzania: Union 'Stalwart' Samia Is CA Vice-Chairperson". AllAfrica. Retrieved 16 November 2016.
  6. ↑ CCM [ccm_tanzania] (12 July 2015). "Mgombea mwenza Urais 2015 wa Mhe. John Pombe Magufuli ni.." (Tweet) (in Swahili). Retrieved 12 July 2015 – via Twitter.
  7. ↑ Mohammed, Omar (12 July 2015). "Tanzania's ruling party nominates John Magufuli as presidential candidate". Quartz. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
  8. ↑ Kalinaki, K. Daniel (30 October 2015). "CCM's John Magufuli declared Tanzania fifth president". The East African. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
  9. ↑ "Member Profile: Wanu Hafidh Ameir". Zanzibar House of Representatives. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
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