Tanzania’s Vice-President Emmanuel Nchimbi Announces Resignation, Marking Historic First Since Independence

Vice-President Emmanuel Nchimbi has announced his resignation and retirement from public life at the end of next week, less than ten months after taking office.

The 54-year-old conveyed the details in a brief letter to President Samia Suluhu Hassan, which he posted on his Instagram account. Officials from his office and the presidency have confirmed the resignation.

Nchimbi, who will be the first vice-president to resign since Tanzania’s independence in 1964, said he was stepping down in accordance with a pledge he made to the president, promising to leave if she believed another vice-president was necessary.

The resignation follows media reports that the president had fallen out with her deputy.

Nchimbi was sworn in last November after serving as Samia’s running mate in the presidential election the previous month, which saw the victor secure 98% of the vote. The election results were contested by the opposition, and violent protests resulted in at least 500 deaths, according to an official inquiry.

Opposition parties and human rights organizations accused security forces of carrying out a brutal crackdown against anti-government demonstrators.

“I have become convinced, beyond doubt, that the president wants changes, and I have therefore decided to fulfill my promise,” Nchimbi wrote in his resignation letter, referencing the pledge he made to Samia.

He expressed gratitude to the president and the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party for the trust they placed in him, as well as to Tanzanians for their support throughout his public service.

He stated that he was departing office in accordance with the nation’s constitution and would continue to be a “good citizen of Tanzania”.

Prior to his vice-presidency, Nchimbi served as the secretary-general of CCM. He held numerous senior government posts, including minister of information and minister of home affairs, before serving as Tanzania’s ambassador to Brazil and subsequently to Egypt.

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