Samia Suluhu Hassan

On 17 March 2021, Suluhu announced that Magufuli had died after a long illness; Magufuli had not been seen in public since late February. She was sworn in on 19 March 2021 to serve the remainder of his second term.[15] Opposition leaders had expressed concern about a possible vacuum when 18 March passed without Suluhu being sworn in.[16] Immediately after being sworn in, Suluhu inspected troops at a military parade in her honour.[14] In her first statements as president, Suluhu said condolences for Magufuli's death and declared three weeks of mourning.[11] She chose Minister of Finance Philip Mpango as her vice-president.[17]

Upon her swearing-in, Suluhu became Tanzania's first female president.[18] She is also the second Zanzibari to hold the post,[19] and the third Muslim after Ali Hassan Mwinyi and Jakaya Kikwete.[20] She was one of only two serving female heads of state in Africa at the time she was sworn in, alongside Ethiopia's Sahle-Work Zewde, who holds only a ceremonial role.[14]

Map highlighting countries where Suluhu made official visits while president

The COVID-19 pandemic was ongoing when Suluhu became president. She reversed the denialist position on the COVID-19 pandemic in Tanzania held by Magufuli, and she entered Tanzania into the COVAX program to begin distribution of COVID-19 vaccines in July 2021.[21] Mandatory 14-day quarantines for travellers entering Tanzania from countries with cases of newly risen variants of SARS-CoV-2 were imposed.[22] Suluhu permitted embassies and other international organisations to import vaccines into the country to vaccinate foreign nationals for their Tanzanian day-to-day work, aided by the Ministry of Health.[23]

Since becoming president, Suluhu has pledged to see that the flagship development projects that were initiated by Magufuli are completed on time.[24] Besides that, she has also approved new development projects.[25] Projects that she prioritised include, establishing a railway line, building a hydropower plant, and making electricity and clean water available in rural Tanzania.[4]

Suluhu filmed a movie, The Royal Tour, with journalist and filmmaker Peter Greenberg in early 2021 with the intention of promoting tourism and getting investors interested in Tanzania.[26] It premiered in Los Angeles, Paramount Theatre,[27] before being played in Tanzania.[28] Suluhu became the fifth African woman to address the United Nations General Assembly in September 2021.[29] She reorganised her presidential cabinet in January 2022 to ensure that it was populated by loyalists,[21] while she gradually removed those who had served under Magufuli.[30]

Suluhu adopted a more internationalist approach rather than the isolationism of her predecessor, and she has sought to entice both investors and tourists.[4] In 2022, she attended the Expo 2020 to promote Tanzanian products and opportunities which led her to sign a business partnership deal with Dubai.[31][32] Suluhu took a neutral stance on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, saying that they should negotiate peace and that "we don't know why they are fighting".[4]

In 2022, Suluhu was named among the top 100 most influential people in the world by American magazine Time.[33] She is expected to run for re-election in the 2025 general election.[4]

Suluhu speaking on an official visit to Malawi in 2023

Suluhu's style of governance has been contrasted with that of Magufuli. Commentators have described Suluhu as "soft-spoken", and Suluhu herself has referenced her quiet demeanour, in contrast to her more outspoken predecessor.[2][34] Suluhu is instead compared to Magufili's predecessor, Jakaya Kikwete, who similarly engaged in diplomacy with the opposition instead of repression.[35] Suluhu is sometimes known as Mama Samia in Tanzania, a name meant to indicate reverence.[7] She has emphasised her femininity as part of her presidency, describing it as a factor in her attempts to create a culture of political unity.[36]

When she became president, Suluhu was seen as a more democratically-inclined alternative to Magufuli, who had developed a reputation as an authoritarian.[34][21] After taking office, Suluhu took measures to increase freedom of speech and freedom of the press to reverse Magufuli's policies and to improve Tanzania's global image. These included releasing political prisoners, meeting with opposition leaders, and reopening newspapers that were shut down for criticising the government.[21] She also lifted a ban on political rallies in 2023, which her predecessor had implemented to stifle the opposition.[37] A sense of distrust has remained among the opposition, amplified by the persecution they experienced under her predecessor.[36]

Tanzania became more democratic during Suluhu's presidency. Though she has initiated several democratic reforms, there is no agreement as to how much can be attributed to her policies, and she has faced criticism for not challenging many authoritarian laws and practices.[4][35] Suluhu chose not to seek widely demanded amendments to the constitution when she took office, citing the poor state of the economy.[4] Following the release of Freeman Mbowe and his immediate conversation with Suluhu, his first appearance days later was at the International Women's Day event in Iringa. This caused critics to accuse Suluhu of releasing Mbowe on condition of support for Western feminist policies.[21][38] Suluhu's meetings and reconciliation with opposition leaders have conversely received criticism within her own party.[21]

• 2022: Africa Road Builders – Babacar Ndiaye Trophy[40]

• 2022: CARE International – CARE Impact Award for Women's Inspirational Leadership[41]

• 2023: Key to the City of Lilongwe.[42]