During the swearing-in ceremony of newly appointed leaders on February 9, 2026, President Samia Suluhu Hassan issued several directive to her new appointees who include regional commissioners, ambassadors and permanent secretaries. She also responded to discussions circulating on social media regarding the latest appointments.
One of the notable moments in her speech came when President Samia addressed critics who have been targeting her former personal secretary, Waziri Rajab Salum, who was first appointed as an ambassador and later as Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
“Waziri, you have worked with me for a long time, and you have done an excellent job. Wherever someone says Mama is doing well, you are also part of the praise because you are my person here. But my responsibility is to guide and ensure career growth — and not to make you stall,” President Samia said.
She later directly addressed critics who claimed that Waziri had been removed following the fallout of the October 29 election and due to his perceived influence at State House.
“Tanzania has many loud voices, and everything you do gets interpreted in different ways now. I was hearing many things: ‘Waziri has been removed, see how it went,” she said.
“What I want to say is this: I mentored him and I’am now gaving him exposure to different sectors. That is exactly what I have done with everyone I have promoted — I guide them and help them grow,” she added.
The news of Waziri’s appointment has circulated as rumours on social media, with some even suggesting he was going to receive a diplomatic post in China, a claim which turn out to be not the case.
“If I had not done that, I would have left him to stagnate by remaining here with me. But I will be leaving soon, so what about his future? Whoever comes next will bring their own people. So please stop spreading false talk,” she emphasized.
Waziri Rajab Salum has served as the President’s private secretary since 2023 and, unlike previous holders of the position, became one of the most visible figures at State House. His name first rose to spotlight on February 7, 2014, when he was appointed as one of three Zanzibar representatives of fishermen to the Constituent Assembly. The other two members were Mohamed Abdallah Ahmed and Issa Ameir Suleiman.
Following the 2015 general election, Waziri became the private secretary to then–Vice President Samia Suluhu Hassan. He was later transferred to the Tanzania Education Authority, where he served as Director of Resource Mobilization.
In his new role at the Ministry of Industry and Trade, he is expected to play a key part in spearheading business and industrial development in the country.
Ministry of Health
While issuing directives to newly appointed officials, President Samia also indirectly addressed social media claims surrounding the appointment of Emmanuel Tayari as Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Health, responsible for pharmaceuticals and medical equipment.
Online commentators questioned Tayari’s appointment because he is a shareholder in Crown Media alongside the Minister of Health, Mohamed Mchengerwa, who is the company’s main shareholder. While some netizens raised concerns about a possible conflict of interest, others dismissed the claims as politically motivated attacks on Mchengerwa, who is also the President’s son-in-law.
President Samia clarified that Tayari’s appointment had nothing to do with his association with Crown Media but was instead aimed at strengthening Tanzania’s pharmaceutical and medical equipment sector.
“There is an operation to establish pharmaceutical industries, and your target is to make Tanzania self-sufficient by no less than 70% in the medicines that we are capable of producing,” President Samia directed Tayari.
“The work on building factories has already begun—go and supervise it, but make sure you understand who the investors. Many people want to come and invest in Tanzania. They are being blocked by land issues and by our own bureaucracy,” she continued.
“Pharmaceutical factories should be built here at home. You will be talked about a lot, that you are from Crown Radio, or Crown, but that is not what I sent you there to do,” she emphasized.
Before his appointment, Tayari served as Chairperson of the Board of Crown Media. His appointment comes as the new minister pursues a strategic shift within the ministry aimed at attracting more investors to the sector. This includes hosting the Pharmaceutical Production Investment Forum on January 19, 2026, and holding meetings with several international investors, including the Shandong Hongyu Medical Technology Group.
