Tanzania erupts as President Samia appoints daughter, son-in-law to powerful Cabinet posts
Wanu and Mohammed, who are married, now enter the Cabinet together, a decision expected to intensify criticism from opponents who have long accused President Samia of nepotism.
Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan has appointed her daughter, Wanu Hafidh Ameir, as Deputy Minister of Education and her son-in-law, Mohammed Mchengerwa, as Minister of Health — a move already stirring intense debate in Dodoma, according to political sources.
Wanu and Mohammed, who are married, now enter the Cabinet together, a decision expected to intensify criticism from opponents who have long accused President Samia of nepotism and of consolidating power within a close inner circle.
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Mohammed, the MP for Rufiji, previously served as Minister of State in the President's Office for Regional Administration and Local Government, a position he has held since 2023.
In the same reshuffle, former President Jakaya Kikwete’s son, Ridhiwani Kikwete, was appointed Minister for Governance, further expanding the list of politically connected family members elevated to senior government roles.
The appointments come just days after President Samia was declared the winner of Tanzania’s disputed election with 97.66 per cent of the vote — a result opponents decried as uncompetitive after leading challengers were barred from the race.
Receiving her certificate of victory in Dodoma, the president defended her mandate even as critics accuse her administration of nepotism, intolerance of dissent, and centralising authority within the ruling establishment.
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