Published On 13/11/2025
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Last update: 14:22 (Mecca time)
Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan on Thursday appointed former Finance Minister Mwegulu Njemba as prime minister after controversial presidential elections that witnessed bloody protests during which human rights organizations said hundreds of demonstrators were killed.
Parliament voted in favor of appointing Njemba by an almost absolute majority, as was expected after Hassan’s overwhelming victory in the elections of last October 29 was announced.
Njemba – who held ministerial positions under the late President John Magufuli – pledged to work hard in his new position.
The government expected the economy to grow by 6% this year, driven by infrastructure projects including roads, railways and power generation, despite the reduction in international aid, including from the United States.
On the other hand, the opposition accused Hassan’s government of rigging the elections and excluding its competitors, which sparked violent protests.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights estimated that hundreds of protesters were killed, while the opposition and activists spoke of more than a thousand dead at the hands of security forces, numbers that the government considered exaggerated, without providing an alternative toll.
It is noteworthy that Njemba has been a member of Parliament since 2010, and previously served as Deputy Secretary-General of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi party.
Political analyst Richard Mbunda from the University of Dar es Salaam said that Njemba’s continuation of his positions since Hassan assumed power reflects her great confidence in him.