Profiles: Tanzania's first daughter and her husband join Cabinet

President Samia Suluhu Hassan has ignited a controversy in Tanzania after appointing her daughter and son-in-law to key positions in her new post-election cabinet, a move that critics are swiftly denouncing as blatant nepotism.

The appointments were announced on Monday as part of a significant cabinet reshuffle following President Suluhu Hassan's disputed re-election victory in October.

Who is Wanu Hafidh Ameir?

Early life and family

Wanu Hafidh Ameir is the eldest child and only daughter of President Samia Suluhu Hassan and her husband, agricultural academic Hafidh Ameir. 

She was born in 1982 and grew up in Zanzibar in a politically aware family linked to Tanzania’s long-ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party. 

She has three younger brothers, who mostly stay out of the public eye. Wanu, by contrast, has chosen a visible political and public role, often appearing alongside her mother during campaigns and party activities. 

Education and professional background

Wanu is a lawyer by training. She holds a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree from the Open University of Tanzania. 

Beyond politics, she is also active in civil society. She is the founder and chairperson of the Mwanamke Initiatives Foundation (MIF), an NGO that focuses on women, youth and children’s welfare in health, education and socio-economic development. 

Her work with MIF has involved advocacy, community-based programmes and efforts to build networks for women and young people, especially in Zanzibar. 

Political career

Wanu is a long-serving CCM politician. She has been involved in politics for nearly two decades and has served as:

• A Member of the Zanzibar House of Representatives since 2005.

• A Member of the Parliament of the United Republic of Tanzania, representing Zanzibar.

Within CCM, she is seen as part of a younger generation that grew up inside the party’s structures but is now operating in a more competitive and contested political environment.

During the 2025 election cycle, she campaigned actively for her mother’s re-election while also seeking to retain her own seat. 

New role: Deputy Minister of Education

On 17 November 2025, President Samia named her new Cabinet. In that reshuffle, Wanu was appointed Deputy Minister for Education, Science and Technology, serving under Minister Prof Adolf Mkenda. 

The appointment placed her at the centre of one of Tanzania’s most sensitive dockets: education, which is grappling with questions of access, quality and reform. 

As deputy minister, she is expected to help implement policy in basic and higher education, oversee reforms and engage with teachers, students and parents across the country.

Who is Mohamed Omary Mchengerwa?

Early life and education

Mohamed Omary Mchengerwa was born on 1 September 1979. He is a CCM politician and lawyer by training. 

He holds a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from Kampala International University and a Master of Laws (LLM) from the University of Dar es Salaam. 

Mchengerwa’s father, Alhaj Omary Mchengerwa, died in February 2025 while performing Umrah in Makkah, a moment that drew national condolence messages and underlined the family’s religious standing.

Political career and roles

Mchengerwa has been a CCM Member of Parliament for the Rufiji constituency since 2015. 

Under President Samia, he has held several Cabinet posts:

• Minister of State in the President’s Office for Public Service Management and Good Governance (from 31 March 2021).

• Minister of Culture, Arts and Sports (January 2022 – February 2023).

• Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism (February 2023 – August 2023).

• Minister in the President’s Office for Regional Administration and Local Government (from September 2023).

In these roles, he has been visible on issues ranging from local government elections and development projects to tourism promotion and cultural events. 

For example, as minister responsible for regional administration and local government, he led preparations for local government polls and pushed for faster implementation of development projects in regions like Kigoma.

New role: Minister of Health

In the November 2025 Cabinet reshuffle, President Samia appointed Mchengerwa as Minister of Health. 

He replaced the previous leadership at the ministry and will be deputised by Dr Florence Samizi. The Health docket is central to Tanzania’s post-COVID health reforms, expansion of health insurance coverage and efforts to improve public hospitals and primary care. 

His appointment extends his influence from local government and regional administration into national health policy.

As Samia’s son-in-law, he also features frequently at national events and CCM functions, blending his political status with his family connection to the presidency.

Marriage and political partnership

Wanu Hafidh Ameir and Mohamed Omary Mchengerwa are married, making Mchengerwa President Samia’s son-in-law. 

Their marriage links two politically active families and has now produced an unusually visible partnership at the Cabinet level. 

Both are career politicians in their own right: Wanu with two decades in the Zanzibar House of Representatives and activism through her foundation, and Mchengerwa with a decade as MP and multiple Cabinet postings. 

The latest reshuffle means they now serve together in the same Cabinet, she as Deputy Minister for Education, he as Health Minister.