Intelligence Insights: Major Cabinet Reshuffle Looming in Tanzania

Bottom Line Up Front

→ The reshuffle has been long overdue, as President Samia Suluhu Hassan "inherited" most of the cabinet ministers from her deceased predecessor John Magufuli who passed away in March 2021.

→She made a minor but significant reshuffle in September after sacking three ministers, including two who were key allies of Magufuli.

→ Her intention to disintegrate the current Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children to form a new ministry which will deal with gender and social welfare, announced in December, meant the reshuffle was apparent.

→ With her ruling party Chama Cha Mapnduzi (CCM)'s elections scheduled for later this year, in which her own position as the national chairmain is going to be at stake, the reshuffle could be an opportunity for her to strengthen her influnce within the party and beyond.

When?

Sources say it could be as early as this week.

Any new faces?

Expected.

Any surprises?

Possibly, mostly likely allies of former President Jakaya Kikwete, who is reported to have enormous influence in President's Samia decisions, getting nods.

Though not a cabinet position, the directorship of the powerful Tanzania Intelligence and Security Services (TISS), which is currently held by Diwani Athumani, is expected to be filled by a new spymaster, partly in line with informal tradition in the East African nation in which new presidents picks their own head of the spy agency.