Velona Ayuko
On Friday, 19 March 2021, Tanzania sworn in its first female president. This followed the demise of President John Pombe Magufuli, who had succumbed to heart disease.
This move came at a time when the world is embracing female leadership. Late last year, the United States of America voted in their first female vice president and there were different reactions from all over the world.
Samia Suluhu Hassan is a native of Zanzibar, the town that used to be a harbor for slavery. Being of the Islamic religion, Samia’s career choice overcame society’s perception of Muslim women.
Mama Samia, well known for her humility and soft-spoken, took the oath to rule the Republic of Tanzania. Apart from getting into politics, Samia holds several academic certificates. She did statistics at Zanzibar Institute of Financial Administration. Adding to that, she holds an advanced diploma in public administration from Mzumbe University. In 1994, Samia graduated with a post-grad diploma from the University of Manchester.
Married in 1979, Samia Hassan is a proud mother of 3 sons and one daughter. Taking after her mother, Wanu Ameir is also in the public spectrum. Samia also mentioned in an interview a while back about her love for cooking. She was disappointed that her political role does not leave her much time to practice it.
“I may look polite, and do not shout when speaking, but the most important thing is that everyone understands what I say and things get done as I say,” Ms. Hassan said in a speech last year.
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