President Samia Suluhu Hassan (L) in a lovey dovey mood with her late husband, Hafidh
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I The death of Hafidh Ameir Hassan, husband to Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, has cast a shadow over the country after he succumbed to a heart condition while receiving treatment in Zanzibar.
Hafidh, aged 73, died at 08:00 local time on Monday, September 7, 2026, at Emilio Mzena Memorial Hospital in Zanzibar, according to Vice-President Deogratius Ndejembi, who announced the death to the public.
Ndejembi said the former First Gentleman had been suffering from a heart condition before his death, bringing an end to a life that was largely lived away from the intense political spotlight surrounding his wife.
“The late Hafidh Ameir Hassan has been suffering from a heart condition,” Ndejembi said in announcing his death, while conveying condolences to President Samia, the family, relatives and friends.
The Vice-President said funeral arrangements were already under way in Kizimkazi, a village in Zanzibar associated with the president and her family.
The announcement came as a shock to Tanzanians because Hafidh had maintained a remarkably low public profile despite being married to the country’s head of state.
Unlike many spouses of African presidents who become prominent figures at official functions, charitable activities or political campaigns, Hafidh was rarely seen beside President Samia. His public appearances were largely limited to occasional official events where he accompanied the president.
His death nevertheless marks a deeply personal loss for President Samia, who is serving her second term after winning the 2025 presidential election.
President Samia became Tanzania’s first female president in March 2021 following the death of President John Magufuli. She had previously served as Magufuli’s vice-president and assumed the presidency in accordance with the country’s constitutional succession arrangements.
Hafidh had been her husband long before she entered national politics. The couple married in 1978, building their family life before Samia’s rise through Zanzibar and mainland Tanzania’s political structures.
They had four children together—three sons and a daughter.
Their daughter, Wanu Hafidh Ameir, followed her mother’s path into public service and currently serves in Zanzibar’s House of Representatives.
Hafidh’s professional life was also distinct from the political world. He was an agricultural academic, with much of his career associated with education and agriculture rather than partisan politics.
His quiet public profile became particularly pronounced after his wife became president. Although he formally became Tanzania’s first First Gentleman when Samia took office in 2021, he did not seek the visibility traditionally associated with presidential spouses.
The revelation that he had been battling a heart condition provides the first official explanation for his death.
Heart disease remains one of the world’s major causes of death and encompasses conditions affecting the heart and blood vessels. Such conditions can sometimes remain manageable for years but may also lead to serious complications requiring hospital treatment.
Ndejembi’s announcement did not provide further details about the specific heart condition Hafidh had been suffering from or how long he had been receiving treatment at Emilio Mzena Memorial Hospital.
The Vice-President led national tributes following the announcement, extending condolences to President Samia and the bereaved family at a difficult moment for the Tanzanian leader.
Condolences also came from outside Tanzania.
Kenyan President William Ruto said he received the news with “deep sorrow,” describing Hafidh’s death as a loss not only for the presidential family but also for Tanzania.
“President Samia has lost a lifelong companion, her children a beloved father, and Tanzania a distinguished son,” Ruto wrote in a social media tribute.
Hafidh’s death comes at a particularly significant moment in President Samia’s political career. Having secured a second term, she remains at the centre of Tanzania’s political affairs as her government pursues investment, infrastructure development and political reforms while maintaining the country’s regional diplomatic engagement through the East African Community and the African Union.
Yet beyond the political implications, the death represents the loss of a husband and lifelong companion for the president.
For more than four decades, Hafidh stood beside Samia through her transformation from a Zanzibar-based public servant and politician into Tanzania’s first woman president.
His largely private life meant that much of their family relationship remained outside public view, but despite rarely occupying the political stage, became part of the country’s history as its first First Gentleman.
