Dar es Salaam. President Samia Suluhu Hassan has announced a mini cabinet reshuffle, dropping Prof Palamagamba Kabudi, Geoffrey Mwambe, William Lukuvi, Prof Kitila Mkumbo and Mwita Waitara.
The Head of State also changed the structure of three ministries. The Ministry of Investment, previously under the Office of the Prime Minister had been combined with the Ministry of Industry and Trade to form the Ministry of Investment, Industry, and Trade.
President Samia also created the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Community Development, Gender, Women, and Special Groups. The two ministries were previously combined into one, something which the President herself had admitted it was not the best way of running the two portfolios.
Saturday’s mini cabinet reshuffle comes hardly four days after President Samia hinted about it on January 4, 2021, promising to get rid of her assistants who have their eyes in the 2025 general elections.
“But all those whom I feel that they have their eyes there [on the 2025 general elections], and work in accordance with that aspiration,” she pointed out, “I’ll relieve them of their duties so that they can have an ample time to prepare themselves [for the election but] outside the government.”
Four ministers and one deputy minister were dropped by President Samia in her Saturday’s cabinet reshuffle. This include Prof Palamagamba Kabudi, William Lukuvi, Geofrey Mwambe, Prof Kitila mkumbo and Mwita Waitara who were serving as Minister for Legal and Constitutional Affairs, Minister for Land, Minister for Investment, Minister for Industry and Trade and Deputy Minister for Works and Transportation respectively.
New faces
There are also new faces in President Samia’s cabinet. Mtama MP (Chama cha Mapinduzi – CCM) Nape Nnauye will be the new Minister The Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, replacing Dr Ashatu Kijaji who will now head the new Ministry of Investment, Industry and Trade.
Mr Nnauye had served under the now abolished Ministry of Information, Culture, Arts and Sports between December 2015 and March 2017. He was dismissed by the late President John Magufuli after he called for accountability of then Dar es Salaam regional commissioner Paul Makonda’s following his invasion of Clouds Media Group studios in Mikocheni.
President Samia also appointed a seasoned diplomat Ms Pindi Chana as the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office (Policy, Parliament and Coordination). Ms Chana served as Tanzania’s High Commissioner to Kenya from February 2017 to May 2020, she was dismissed by Magufuli over Tanzania-Kenya border crossing challenges.
Another new face in the cabinet is the Chalinze MP (CCM) Ridhiwani Kikwete who has been appointed as the Deputy Minister for Lands, Housing and Human Settlement Development. He is replacing Dr Angelina Mabula who has been promoted as the Minister for Land, replacing Lukuvi.
Dr Mabula is not the only one who has been promoted in the latest cabinet reshuffle. Nzega MP (CCM) Hussein Bashe is now the Minister for Agriculture. Bashe, who was the ministry’s deputy, is replacing Prof Adolph Mkenda who is now in charge of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology.
Another promotion is that of Hamad Yusuf Masauni who will now be the Minister for Home Affairs, replacing George Simbachawene who has now been assigned to the Ministry of Legal and Constitutional Affairs, replacing Kabudi. Before the promotion, Masauni served as the Deputy Minister Finance and Planning.
Other Ministerial swaps
The following are other ministerial swaps announced today by Chief Secretary Hussein Kattanga:
Jenista Mhagama has been transferred from the Office of the Prime Minister’s (Policy, Parliament and Coordination) to the President’s Office (Public Service and Good Governance).
Ummy Mwalimu has been transferred from the President’s Office, Regional Administration and Local Government Tanzania (PO-RALG) to the newly formed Ministry of Health.
Prof Joyce Ndalichako has been transferred from the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology to the Prime Minister’s Office (Work, Employment, Youths and Disabled).
Innocent Bashungwa has been transferred from the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Sports to the President’s Office, Regional Administration and Local Government Tanzania (PO-RALG).
Dr Dorothy Gwajima has been transferred from the Ministry of Health to the newly formed Ministry of Community Development, Gender, Women and Special Groups.
Mohamed Mchengerwa has been transferred from the President’s Office (Public Service and Good Governance) to the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Sports.
Khamis Khamis has been transferred as a Deputy Minister for Home Affairs to the Deputy Minister in the Vice President’s Office (Union and Environment).
Hamad Chande has been transferred as a Deputy Minister in the Vice President’s Office (Union and Environment) to a Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Finance and Planning.
Mwanaidi Khamis has been transferred as a Deputy Minister for Health and Community Development to a Deputy Minister for Community Development, Gender, Women and Special Groups.
Permanent Secretaries
In her announcement on Saturday, President Samia also lined up her team of Permanent Secretaries and Deputy Permanent Secretaries where she appointed new ones, promoted some, and swapped others.
She had appointed new seven permanent secretaries, new ten deputy permanent secretaries, a total of six permanent secretaries, and five deputy permanent secretaries from one ministry to another.
