NEWS
Tanzania’s First Gentleman, Hafidh Ameir Hassan Dies After Heart Condition
Tanzania’s First Gentleman, Hafidh Ameir Hassan, husband of President Samia Suluhu Hassan, has died while receiving medical treatment in Zanzibar.
Hassan reportedly passed away at about 8:00 a.m. local time on Monday, September 7, 2026, at Emilio Mzena Memorial Hospital in Zanzibar, where he had been undergoing treatment for a heart condition.
The death was announced by Tanzania’s Vice-President, Deogratius Ndejembi, who conveyed condolences to President Samia, members of Hassan’s family and his friends.
Funeral arrangements are reportedly underway in Kizimkazi, a village on the semi-autonomous island of Zanzibar, where the late First Gentleman had strong family ties.
Hassan, an agricultural academic, was known for maintaining a remarkably private life despite being married to one of Tanzania’s most prominent political figures. Unlike many spouses of African heads of state, he rarely appeared in public alongside President Samia and generally stayed away from the political spotlight.
He became Tanzania’s first First Gentleman in 2021 when Samia assumed the presidency following the death of then-President John Magufuli.
Before his wife entered national politics, Hassan married Samia in 1978. Their marriage spanned decades and produced four children — three sons and a daughter.
Their daughter, Wanu Hafidh Ameir, followed her mother into public service and is a politician serving in Zanzibar’s House of Representatives.
The death of Hassan marks a deeply personal loss for President Samia, who has been at the centre of Tanzania’s political leadership since becoming the country’s first female president in 2021.
Tributes are expected to continue pouring in as Tanzania mourns a First Gentleman who largely remained behind the scenes while supporting the country’s president throughout her 
political journey.