Tanzania President Steps Away from Office Briefly

Tanzania has announced a change in how key government responsibilities will be handled after President Samia Suluhu Hassan made a temporary decision.  

President Samia Suluhu Hassan has begun a 90-day leave of absence starting September 7 following the death of her husband, Hafidh Ameir.

Chief Secretary Moses Kusiluka announced in a statement that Vice President Deogratius Ndejembi and Prime Minister Mwigulu Nchemba will handle executive government duties during this period.

The two leaders will carry out the responsibilities in accordance with Tanzania’s legal provisions governing the exercise of executive functions.

The Chief Secretary said the relevant authorities would provide further information when necessary.

Hafidh Ameir Hassan, husband of Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan and the country’s first First Gentleman, died on Monday, September 7, 2026, while receiving treatment in Zanzibar.

Ndejembi said Ameir had been receiving treatment for a heart condition at the Zanzibar hospital before his death.

Ameir was 76 years old at the time of his death. He was a retired agricultural academic and agriculture officer from Zanzibar.

He married Samia Suluhu in 1978 and largely stayed out of the political spotlight until she became Tanzania’s president in 2021.

Ameir was buried on September 7 in Kizimkazi, Zanzibar, following Islamic funeral rites.

Ndejembi extended condolences to President Samia, the family, and Tanzanians, saying funeral arrangements were being handled in Zanzibar.

Deogratius Ndejembi is Tanzania’s Vice President and one of the country’s senior executive officials under President Samia Suluhu Hassan.

Before becoming Vice President, Ndejembi held several Cabinet roles, including Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, Minister for Lands, Housing and Human Settlements, and Minister of Energy.

He became Vice President in August 2026 after Emmanuel Nchimbi resigned from the position. Parliament approved Ndejembi’s nomination on August 28, and he was sworn in on August 29 at State House in Dodoma.

As Vice President, Ndejembi announced the death of First Gentleman Hafidh Ameir Hassan on September 7, 2026.

Mwigulu Nchemba is Tanzania’s Prime Minister and a long-serving politician in the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM).