By Matik Kueth
Once dismissed as a soft-spoken deputy chosen merely to balance a political ticket, Samia Suluhu Hassan has evolved into one of East Africa’s most enigmatic and feared leaders.
From the tranquil shores of Zanzibar to the heart of Tanzania’s power, she has carved her path through quiet resilience and political calculation, commanding a nation still haunted by the ghost of her predecessor, John Magufuli.
What began as a story of hope, a woman’s steady rise in a male-dominated system, has turned into a tale of control, fear, and political survival.
Today, at 65, President Hassan stands accused of steering Tanzania into a new age of repression.
As the country prepares for elections, her government has jailed or disqualified nearly all key opposition figures, prompting rights groups to brand her rule as one of intimidation and fear.
Amnesty International described a “wave of terror” marked by enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests, and extrajudicial killings.
What was once celebrated as a democratic revival after Magufuli’s death now looks more like a return to authoritarianism, this time led by a woman who has mastered power’s quieter, subtler tones.
From Zanzibar’s shores to the seat of power
Born in Zanzibar in 1960, Hassan’s beginnings were humble; the daughter of a schoolteacher and a homemaker, she grew up in a conservative Muslim household where ambition was rare for girls.
Her school performance was modest, and at 17 she took a job as a government clerk, an unlikely start for someone destined to lead a nation.
Years later, she returned to school, earning degrees in public administration before joining the Zanzibar government as a development officer.
Her diligence and ability to navigate bureaucracy earned her respect in the island’s political circles, eventually propelling her into the House of Representatives in 2000.
In a political culture defined by loud voices and forceful personalities, Hassan’s quiet determination set her apart.
She served as minister for youth, women, and later tourism in Zanzibar’s government before moving to mainland Tanzania, where President Jakaya Kikwete appointed her Minister of State for Union Affairs.
When John Magufuli, a man known for his blunt, bulldozing style, selected her as his running mate in 2015, the decision was largely symbolic.
Magufuli’s death, and an unexpected ascendancy
Yet in an extraordinary twist of fate, Magufuli’s sudden death in 2021 catapulted her into the presidency.
Hassan lifted media bans, allowed opposition rallies, and opened dialogue with critics. Many saw her as a peacemaker, a leader ready to heal a nation wounded by Magufuli’s iron-fisted rule.
Confronted by Magufuli loyalists who dominated the security services and intelligence circles, Hassan turned inward, growing increasingly cautious and controlling.
Analysts said she has consolidated power by neutralizing rivals, silencing dissent within the ruling CCM, and crushing the opposition with a precision that rivals Magufuli’s brutality, though executed with a softer face.
The recent arrests of opposition leaders and journalists, along with strict curbs on rallies and online criticism, have cemented her reputation as Africa’s newest female strongman.
In Dar es Salaam, fear speaks more loudly than politics, and loyalty, not ideology, determines one’s safety.
Hassan remains unapologetic
She insists her methods are about discipline and order, not repression.
“I may look polite and do not shout when speaking,” she once told supporters, “but the most important thing is that things get done as I say.”
Those words have come to define her rule, a blend of grace and grit, charm and control.
From a teenage clerk in Zanzibar to the presidency of one of Africa’s largest nations, Samia Suluhu Hassan’s journey is a study in transformation, from underestimated deputy to decisive ruler, from reformer to enforcer.
Her soft voice may still calm a room, but in today’s Tanzania, it also carries the weight of silence, a silence many fear to break.