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Vice President Deogratius Ndejembi announced on Monday that Hafidh Ameir Hassan, the husband of President Samia Suluhu Hassan, died at 8 a.m. local time while receiving treatment for a heart condition at Emilio Mzena Memorial Hospital in Zanzibar. In a statement the vice president expressed great sadness as he conveyed condolences to the president, her family, relatives, friends and all Tanzanians. Ndejembi added that funeral arrangements were already underway in Kizimkazi village on the semi-autonomous island where the family maintains roots, according to reports from The Citizen and the Associated Press.
Hafidh Ameir Hassan, an agricultural academic who maintained a low public profile, became Tanzania’s first gentleman in March 2021 when his wife succeeded to the presidency after the death of John Magufuli, the Associated Press reported. He and Samia Suluhu Hassan married in 1978 and raised four children together, three sons and a daughter who serves as a lawmaker in Zanzibar’s House of Representatives and has sat in the National Assembly. Regional outlets including People Daily noted that Ameir largely avoided the political spotlight even after his wife became the country’s first female president.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who assumed office in 2021 and won re-election in 2025, has not yet issued a public statement on her husband’s death, multiple news services reported. The development has drawn condolences from leaders across East Africa. Kenyan President William Ruto was among the first to respond publicly to the news that broke early Monday.
Ruto shared a message stating he received word of the passing with deep sorrow and extended sympathies on behalf of the Kenyan government, people, first lady and his own family. “President Samia has lost a lifelong companion, her children a beloved father, and Tanzania a distinguished son,” Ruto wrote in the statement carried by allAfrica.com and Capital FM. The Kenyan leader concluded by praying that God would comfort the family, grant them strength and give Hafidh Ameir Hassan eternal rest.
A profile published by People Daily highlighted how Hafidh Ameir Hassan lived much of his life away from the political arena despite his wife’s ascent through Zanzibar and national politics. The late first gentleman focused on his work in agriculture and academia before retirement, distinguishing himself from spouses who often take on visible public roles. Reports from Nilepost and Kenyans.co.ke described the couple as having kept their family life largely private throughout more than four decades of marriage.
Vice President Ndejembi’s announcement has prompted further expressions of solidarity across the region with groups such as the Africa CDC offering support to President Hassan during this period. The family now prepares for burial in Kizimkazi as details of the schedule are expected from government officials in the coming hours. Additional tributes continue to flow in from Tanzanian officials and citizens following the vice president’s statement that framed the loss as one shared by the entire nation.
