Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni, center, speaks to Tanzania’s Vice President Emmanuel John Nchimbi at State House in Entebbe, Uganda, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025.
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Tanzania’s Vice President Emmanuel Nchimbi has resigned from office and announced his retirement from politics, saying he had become convinced that President Samia Suluhu Hassan wanted a different deputy. His departure, effective September 4, comes amid growing questions over political divisions and media freedom.
Nchimbi announced his decision on Tuesday, August 25, saying he had written to Hassan to inform her that he would leave the vice presidency and retire from public service and active politics.
He said he had promised the president in August 2025 that he would step aside if she ever wanted a different vice president. Nchimbi said he was now convinced “beyond doubt” that Hassan desired a change.
His resignation will take effect on September 4, rather than immediately.
Resignation follows media controversy
The announcement comes less than a week after authorities suspended the publishing licence of the critical MwanaHALISI newspaper for six months.
The newspaper had reported allegations that Nchimbi was resisting pressure to resign and suggested there were disagreements between him and Hassan. Authorities said the publication had breached professional standards on accuracy, balance and verification.
The timing of the suspension and Nchimbi’s subsequent resignation is likely to fuel further scrutiny over the circumstances surrounding his departure.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan won a landslide victory in last year’s election, securing 98 percent of the vote, although international observers criticised the electoral process. Hundreds of people were killed during unrest surrounding the election, according to the information provided.
Hassan initially won praise after taking office in 2021 for easing restrictions on opposition parties and the media. But opposition groups now accuse her government of reverting toward the more restrictive policies associated with her predecessor, John Magufuli.
Tanzania ranks 117th out of 180 countries in the latest press freedom ranking cited from Reporters Without Borders.
Attention turns to Hassan’s next choice
Nchimbi’s resignation leaves Hassan facing the task of selecting a new vice president at a politically sensitive time.
His decision to leave the government and active politics, after less than a year in one of the country’s highest offices, has added a new layer of uncertainty to Tanzania’s political landscape.
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