Tanzania's Vice President Quits After Less Than a Year in Office

Tanzania's Vice President Emmanuel Nchimbi has stepped down after less than a year in the role, a move that analysts say stems from a power struggle with President Samia Suluhu Hassan, the country's first female leader.

Nchimbi offered to vacate his office on September 4, according to a statement released on Tuesday. The presidency has confirmed that constitutional procedures will now be followed to appoint his successor. In his statement, Nchimbi said he was "fully convinced" that Hassan desires a different deputy, adding, "I assure you that I will continue to be a good citizen of Tanzania."

The resignation is striking for a nation long regarded as a bastion of stability under the dominant Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party. Analysts suggest Nchimbi clashed with Hassan over governance issues, particularly the government's harsh response to street protests that erupted during and after the October 29 election.

"The two were not on good terms," said Tito Magoti, a rights attorney and independent analyst in Dar es Salaam.

A post-election inquiry documented 518 deaths linked to the violence, a figure that shocked observers both at home and abroad. Security forces, including the military, were deployed to quell riots in major cities, with gunfire reported in areas popular with tourists. The government also shut down the internet for days, a decision Hassan later apologized for, vowing it would not happen again.

Mohamed Chande Othman, who led the investigation into the violence, said in April that the actual death toll was likely higher, as some families buried relatives without reporting to morgues. He also recommended a probe into the use of firearms after witnesses reported loved ones being shot inside their homes.

Hassan, in power since 2021, faced significant criticism for running virtually unopposed after her main rivals were blocked from contesting. Her principal opponent, Tundu Lissu, remains jailed on treason charges he claims are politically motivated.

CCM has governed Tanzania since independence in 1961, with its influence deeply woven into the state and security apparatus. Hassan herself assumed the presidency smoothly after the sudden death of her predecessor, John Pombe Magufuli, in 2021. That orderly transition had reinforced Tanzania's image as an oasis of peace, a key pillar of CCM's support, particularly in rural areas.