In a sweeping government shake-up, Tanzania President Samia Suluhu Hassan has dismissed seven senior members of her previous cabinet while simultaneously installing close family members in prominent ministerial roles.
The most striking appointments include the elevation of her daughter, Wanu Hafidh Ameir, to the post of Deputy Minister for Education, and the naming of her son-in-law, Mohamed Mchengerwa, as Minister of Health. Both are long-serving CCM legislators—Ameir representing Makunduchi in Zanzibar and Mchengerwa representing Rufiji in Pwani Region.
The dismissals mark one of the most extensive purges of senior officials under President Suluhu Hassan. Among those removed are former Energy Minister Doto Biteko, Agriculture Minister Hussein Bashe, and Trade Minister Seleman Jafo, all of whom held influential portfolios in the previous administration.
Despite the mass firings, the president simultaneously expanded and reshaped her cabinet following her landslide reelection on October 29, in which she secured nearly 98% of the vote. The new line-up includes 27 ministers and 29 deputy ministers.
Additional high-profile appointments include Ridhwani Kikwete, son of former President Jakaya Kikwete, who will serve in the President’s Office overseeing Public Service Management and Good Governance.
In the restructured government, Khamis Musa Omar assumes leadership of the critical Finance Ministry, while Mahmoud Thabit Kombo retains his Foreign Affairs portfolio. Prof. Riziki Shemdoe becomes Education Minister, now to be deputised by the president’s daughter. Daniel Chongolo takes over Agriculture, and Judith Kapinga steps in as Minister for Industry and Trade.
The overhaul underscores President Suluhu Hassan’s intent to tighten her grip on the executive branch, blending political loyalty with family influence at the highest levels of government.
STORY CREDIT: TRT AFRIKA
