By John Mutiso
Tanzania’s vice president Samia Suluhu Hassan has been sworn in as the new President of Tanzania following the death of President John Magufuli.
The swearing-in ceremony took place on Friday at State House in Dar es Salaam, according to a notice by the chief government spokesman, Hassan Abbas.
Suluhu takes over from Magufuli, who succumbed to heart failure on Wednesday, as announced by the Vice President Samia Suluhu on State broadcaster TBC.
As per the Tanzania’s constitution, the vice president is expected to be sworn in as the president for the unexpired period of the term of the five years if the office of president becomes vacant by reason of death or resignation, loss of electoral qualifications or inability to perform his functions due to physical infirmity, or failure to discharge the duties and functions of the office of president.
Suluhu will be the East African nation’s first female president, and the second president to come from the country’s semi-autonomous islands of Zanzibar.