from ALLOYCE KIMBUNGA in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania
Tanzania Bureau
DAR ES SALAAM, (CAJ News) – TANZANIA’S Vice-President Emmanuel John Nchimbi has resigned from office, less than a year after assuming the country’s second-highest political position.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan has accepted Nchimbi’s resignation, which will take effect on September 4, according to an official government statement.
No reason was given for his departure.
Nchimbi, a veteran of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), was appointed Vice-President in November 2025 following President Hassan’s re-election.
His resignation marks an unusual development in Tanzania’s political establishment, where senior changes at the top of government can have significant implications for the ruling party and the administration’s direction.
Nchimbi previously served as CCM Secretary-General and held several senior government positions during his political career.
His departure comes after he recently attracted attention for advocating constitutional reform at a human rights event in Dar es Salaam.
At the gathering, he called for a Constitution that would promote Tanzania’s material development while protecting the dignity of its citizens.
President Hassan’s re-election last year was followed by international and domestic scrutiny, with the election criticised over the exclusion of opposition candidates and violence that followed the poll.
A government-appointed inquiry reported that at least 518 people were killed in the post-election unrest.
The resignation therefore comes at a sensitive moment for Tanzania, which has been seeking to balance political stability with demands for greater democratic reforms.
Nchimbi has also announced his retirement from active politics and public service, bringing to an end a political career spanning several decades. His resignation is expected to trigger a constitutional process for the appointment of a successor.
Under Tanzania’s constitutional arrangements, the President and Vice-President operate on a joint electoral ticket, making the office an important component of the country’s executive structure.
President Hassan is expected to oversee the process of selecting a replacement as the administration moves to maintain continuity.
The unexpected departure is likely to fuel further debate over Tanzania’s political direction, particularly around constitutional reform, governance and relations between the ruling establishment and its critics.
For now, however, the government has offered no indication that the resignation will alter its broader policy agenda.
– CAJ News