Samia Suluhu Hassan has today been sworn-in as Tanzania’s President following the sudden death of John Pombe Magufuli.
Hassan, 61, who has been Tanzania’s vice president becomes the first female head of state in the East African country.
“I, Samia Suluhu Hassan, promise to be honest and obey and protect the constitution of Tanzania,” said Hassan in a brief ceremony as she took the oath of office in Dar es Salaam.
According to Tanzania’s constitution, the vice president serves out the remainder of the term of a president who dies in office. Therefore Samia Hassan will serve the remainder of Magufuli’s second five-year term, which goes until 2025.
Magufuli died on Wednesday, March 17th of a heart attack at Mzena Hospital in Dar es Salaam which he had been treating for the last ten years. Samia confirmed in a televised statement.
Magufuli, who was first elected in 2015, secured a second five-year term in polls in October last year.
