By Desmond Nleya
ZANZIBAR, Tanzania — Hafidh Ameir Hassan, husband of Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, has died while receiving treatment at a hospital in Zanzibar.
Vice-President Deogratius Ndejembi announced the death on Monday, saying the husband of the Tanzanian president had been battling a heart condition. He died at about 08:00 local time at Emilio Mzena Memorial Hospital.
Funeral arrangements are reportedly under way in Kizimkazi, Zanzibar, where the family is expected to lay him to rest.
Hafidh Ameir Hassan was an agricultural academic who maintained a notably low public profile throughout his wife’s political career. When Samia became president in 2021, he became Tanzania’s first First Gentleman.
The couple married in 1978, before Samia entered national politics, and had four children together — three sons and a daughter. Their daughter, Wanu Hafidh Ameir, is a politician serving in Zanzibar’s House of Representatives.
Tributes have already begun pouring in from across the region. Kenyan President William Ruto expressed his condolences to President Samia and the family, while Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema and Burundi’s President Évariste Ndayishimiye also sent messages of sympathy.
Hassan was rarely seen in public alongside his wife, making his passing a deeply personal moment for the Tanzanian leader and her family as the country mourns the death of its first First Gentleman.
