Tanzania’s president will blend change with continuity

Significance

Having now completed her first 100 days in office, her style distinguishes her from her predecessor but there is considerable policy continuity. As with Magufuli, the focus of her administration is on consolidating the power of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party.

Impacts

• Samia’s sensitivity to political nuance in Zanzibar, her home region, should help the unity government there survive beyond the 2025 poll.
• Samia’s presidency will have only marginal impacts on women’s place in society; she has never embraced a forthright feminist philosophy.
• Confirmed as the strongest of the continent’s liberation movement parties, CCM’s strategic influence is likely to increase.