Tanzania’s president appoints a new prime minister following a contentious election
Tanzania’s leader appointed a longtime loyalist as prime minister on Thursday, following a contentious presidential election in the East African nation that led to clashes, with rights groups reporting that hundreds of protesters were killed.
The parliament supported the appointment of former finance minister Mwigulu Nchemba with a near-unanimous vote, as anticipated following President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s decisive victory in the October 29 election.
Nchemba, who previously held a position in the cabinet of Hassan’s predecessor John Magufuli, expressed his commitment to working diligently in his new role.
Tanzania anticipates a 6% growth in its economy this year, fueled in part by infrastructure initiatives including roads, railways, and power generation.
Budget spending is anticipated to increase by approximately 12% this fiscal year to support the projects, despite reductions in aid from international partners, including the United States.
Critics allege that Hassan’s administration manipulated the results of last month’s election, leading to turmoil due to the sidelining of her primary opponents.
Hassan, who took office in 2021 following Magufuli’s death, has dismissed criticism regarding her human rights record and has stood by the integrity of the election process.
The U.N. Human Rights Office has indicated that it believes hundreds of individuals were killed during protests, whereas the primary opposition party and several human rights activists have reported that security forces killed over 1,000 people.
The government has claimed that the opposition’s death toll is inflated, yet it has not provided its own estimate of the number of deceased.
Nchemba has served as a member of parliament since 2010 and has also held the position of deputy secretary-general of Hassan’s Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party in the past.
Richard Mbunda, a political analyst from the University of Dar es Salaam, noted that Hassan’s confidence in Nchemba was evident in the latter’s consistent retention of his position during cabinet reshuffles since she assumed power.
