Tanzania President Samia Suluhu Hassan's husband dead

• Tanzania President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s husband, Hafidh Ameir Hassan, has died at a hospital in Zanzibar.

• He died on Monday after battling a heart condition.

• African and regional leaders, including AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, have expressed condolences to President Samia and her family.

Ameir died at about 8:00 a.m. on Monday, September 7, 2026, at the Emilio Mzena Memorial Hospital, according to Vice-President Deogratius Ndejembi, who announced his death.

Ndejembi said funeral arrangements were underway in Kizimkazi, a village on Zanzibar, and extended condolences to President Samia, her family and Ameir’s friends.

Ameir was an agricultural academic who largely stayed away from the public spotlight despite his wife’s prominent political career.

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He became Tanzania’s first First Gentleman in 2021 when Samia assumed the presidency following the death of President John Magufuli.

He married Samia in 1978, before she entered national politics, and the couple had four children, three sons and a daughter.

Their daughter, Wanu Hafidh Ameir, is also involved in politics and serves in Zanzibar’s House of Representatives.

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The death has prompted condolences from leaders across Africa.

Kenyan President William Ruto expressed his sorrow over Ameir’s passing, saying President Samia had lost a lifelong companion, while his children had lost their father.

Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema also expressed solidarity with Tanzania’s first family and the people of the country during what he described as a difficult time.

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Burundian President Évariste Ndayishimiye also offered his condolences and prayed for comfort and strength for President Samia and her family.

The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, also conveyed his deepest condolences to President Samia, her family and the people of Tanzania.

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In a statement, Mr Youssouf expressed his profound sympathy to the President and her family and wished them “strength, courage and solace” during the difficult period.

He also prayed for the peaceful repose of Ameir’s soul, concluding his message with, “Inalilahi wainailehi rajiun.”

Ameir maintained a low public profile throughout his wife’s political career and was only occasionally seen alongside her at official events.

His death comes at a significant moment for Tanzania, where President Samia remains the country’s first female head of state and one of the most prominent political figures in East Africa.