Hafidh Ameir Hassan, husband of Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, has died while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Zanzibar.
The death was officially announced by Vice-President Deogratius Ndejembi, who said Ameir had been battling a heart condition.
According to Ndejembi, Ameir died at 08:00 local time (06:00 GMT) on Monday at Emilio Mzena Memorial Hospital in Zanzibar.
The Vice-President conveyed condolences to President Hassan, the bereaved family and Ameir’s friends as preparations for his burial got under way in Kizimkazi, a village in Zanzibar.
Ameir was an agricultural academic who maintained a largely private life away from the public spotlight. He assumed the position of Tanzania’s first First Gentleman following President Hassan’s rise to the presidency in 2021.
His role was notable because Tanzania had never before had a male spouse of a sitting female president. Despite his historic position, Ameir made only limited public appearances alongside his wife.
Kenyan President William Ruto joined other leaders in mourning Ameir, saying he had received news of his death with “deep sorrow”.
“President Samia has lost a lifelong companion, her children a beloved father, and Tanzania a distinguished son,” Ruto wrote on social media.
Ameir and President Hassan were married in 1978, years before she entered national politics. Their marriage produced four children — three sons and one daughter.
Their daughter, Wanu Hafidh Ameir, has followed her mother into public service and currently serves in Zanzibar’s House of Representatives in the National Assembly.
Although he remained largely outside the political spotlight, Ameir’s position as First Gentleman placed him in a unique place in Tanzania’s political history as the spouse of the country’s first female president.
Funeral arrangements are continuing in Kizimkazi, where family, friends and Tanzanians are expected to gather to pay their final respects.
