Suluhu’s first 100 days have been glorious for Tanzania

President Samia Suluhu Hassan

President Samia Suluhu Hassan addresses a joint sitting of Parliament in Nairobi during her state visit to Kenya in May 2021.

Photo credit: PSCU

What you need to know:

  • Breaking the record as the first woman to ever become the president of an East African state, President Suluhu has set the bar quite high. 
  • President Suluhu has received praise from influential personalities, including Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania is the true embodiment of the quote made by the former First Lady of the US Eleanor Roosevelt: “A woman is like a tea bag. You may never know how strong she is until you put her in hot water.” 

Since taking over the leadership of Tanzania following the death of President John Pombe Joseph Magufuli, President Suluhu has proven to doubters that she is strong. Breaking the record as the first woman to ever become the president of an East African state, she has set the bar quite high. 

As we mark the first 100 days in office for the new President, her biggest achievement was the successful transfer of power, with many firsts that came with it — first woman, first Zanzibar-born and even first hijab wearing woman to become a President of a country in Africa. 

Most Tanzanians think that she has achieved more than they expected her to. For starters, she has completely debunked the belief that the Covid-19 pandemic is does not exist and rallied Tanzanians to observe measures to curb the spread of the disease.

Investment destination

She has formed an advisory task force to advise the government on the pandemic and its effects on the nation. The President is due to release data on the situation of the coronavirus pandemic in Tanzania.

This is one of the conditions that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has given before it gives Dodoma its much-needed $571 million loan to help it tackle the challenges it is facing that have been caused by the pandemic. 

President Suluhu has also pushed for Tanzania to join the Covax vaccine-sharing scheme. Under its new President, Tanzania has not been exposed to the political unrest in neighbouring states such as Mozambique, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This has drawn more large-scale investors to turn their eye to Tanzania.

President Suluhu has received praise from influential personalities, including Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote who lauded her for transforming Tanzania into an investment destination of choice.

Joshua Muoki, 12, is Grade Six pupil and a member of the journalism club at Mudzini School, Kilifi.

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