Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s Husband, Hafidh Ameir Hassan, Dies

Mon Sep 07 2026 13:36:02 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Husband of President Samia Suluhu Hassan dies in Zanzibar hospital, aged 82.

Hafidh Ameir Hassan, the first First Gentleman of Tanzania, died Monday at 08:00 local time in a Zanzibar hospital after a prolonged heart condition. Vice-President Deogratius Ndejembi announced the death and said funeral arrangements are underway in Kizimkazi. A low‑profile agricultural academic and husband of President Samia Suluhu Hassan since 1978, Ameir’s passing has left a void in Tanzania’s leadership and family life.

Hafidh Ameir Hassan, husband of President Samia Suluhu Hassan, has died in a hospital in Zanzibar.

Vice‑President Deogratius Ndejembi – who had announced the death – confirmed that Ameir succumbed to a longstanding heart condition. He did not leave public life widely known; his work was largely academic in agriculture, though he became the country’s first First Gentleman when Samia took office in 2021.

The funeral will take place in Kizimkazi, a village on Zanzibar’s semi‑autonomous island. Senior officials, including President Samia, have paid their respects, and the Kenyan president William Ruto expressed deep sorrow over the loss.

Ameir had been with Samia since 1978, before her national political career. The couple had four children – three sons and a daughter, Wanu Hafidh Ameir, who currently serves in Zanzibar’s House of Representatives.

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