Hafidh Ameir Hassan passed away on Monday morning while receiving treatment at Emilio Mzena Memorial Hospital in Zanzibar.
Tanzanian Vice-President Deogratius Ndejembi announced that the First Gentleman succumbed to a heart condition at 8 am local time.
Funeral arrangements are currently underway in Kizimkazi, the home village situated on Zanzibar.
A quiet agricultural academic by profession, Ameir deliberately maintained a low public profile throughout his wife’s political tenure.
He assumed the unprecedented title of Tanzania’s inaugural First Gentleman when Samia Suluhu Hassan ascended to the presidency in March 2021.
The couple wed back in 1978 long before national politics entered their lives, eventually raising four children together.
Their daughter, Wanu Hafidh Ameir, followed a path into public service and currently serves within Zanzibar’s House of Representatives.
Regional leaders immediately reached out with messages of sympathy, including Kenyan President William Ruto via social media.
Ruto shared his sorrow online, writing, “I have received with deep sorrow the news of the passing of Hafidh Ameir Hassan, husband of Her Excellency Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of the United Republic of Tanzania.”
He concluded his tribute by stating, “President Samia has lost a lifelong companion, her children a beloved father, and Tanzania a distinguished son.”
