Hafidh Ameir Hassan, husband of Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, has died while receiving treatment for a heart condition in Zanzibar. He was 76.
Ameir died at about 8am on Monday, September 7, 2026, at Emilio Mzena Memorial Hospital in Zanzibar, according to Vice President Deogratius Ndejembi, who announced the death.
“It is with great sadness that I inform you of the death of Mr Hafidh Ameir Hassan, husband of the President of the United Republic of Tanzania, Samia Suluhu Hassan,” Ndejembi said.
The Vice President said Ameir had been receiving treatment after developing heart-related complications.
Ndejembi conveyed condolences to President Samia, the bereaved family, relatives and friends, as well as Tanzanians, as the country begins mourning the First Gentleman.
Funeral arrangements were already underway in Kizimkazi, Zanzibar, the family’s home area, according to the Vice President. Further details about the funeral programme are expected to be communicated by authorities and the family.
Ameir married Samia Suluhu in 1978, long before she rose through Tanzania’s political ranks to become the country’s first female president in 2021. The couple had four children.
Unlike many spouses of African heads of state, Ameir largely kept away from the political spotlight. He was an agriculturalist and maintained a relatively private life while his wife moved through government, serving first as a Member of Parliament, minister and later Vice President before succeeding the late President John Magufuli.
His daughter, Wanu Hafidh Ameir, has also entered public life and has served as a Tanzanian legislator.
Ameir’s death leaves President Samia facing a deeply personal loss while continuing to lead Tanzania.
His passing also brings into focus the often invisible lives of political spouses: people who stand beside leaders through the long years of political ascent but rarely occupy the centre of the story themselves.
For Ameir, much of that story was lived away from the cameras.
Now, Tanzania mourns him in public.
