The wait is over. President Samia has made major overhauls in her ministerial cabinet. The overhaul did not take long since President Samia announced that she would present her ministerial lineup aligning with her aspirations following bare-knuckled blows with the former speaker Job Ndugai over the status of the national debt.  

The Chief Secretary, Hon. Ambassador Hussein Kattanga took the podium at the Magogoni State House in Dar es Salaam to announce the changes before the Press. A presentation of the new ministerial cabinet by Hon. Kattanga brought fore the absence of some notable names such as the Minister of Lands, Housing and Human Settlements William Lukuvi, Industry and Trade Minister Kitila Mkumbo, Constitution and Legal Affairs Prof. Palamagamba Kabudi. 

The announcement witnessed the reinstatement of the former CCM publicity Secretary Nape Nnauye into the cabinet as the Minister of Information, Communications, and Information Technology (MICIT).

Whereas, son of the former President Jakaya Kikwete, Ridhiwani Kikwete, conferred a role of the Deputy Minister of Land, Housing, and Human Settlements. With that being said, what are the lessons we can learn from this reshuffle?

1: Experience is King

Hon. Capt. George Mkuchika, the Kagera War veteran, doesn’t seem to retire anytime soon after being included in the latest President Samia’s cabinet. Capt. Mkuchika has held several key posts in the military, the party, and the government since 1973; it is thus valid to say that Mkuchika has worked with all the presidents, from Nyerere to Samia Suluhu. President Samia appointed Capt. Mkuchika (73), as the Minister of President’s Office Special task. His appointment is nothing short of his tremendous experience to have worked in different government sectors for more than 40 years. 

2: Youth Inclusiveness 

President Samia has often identified herself as a firm believer in youth. On 7 January 2022, President Samia spoke with CCM youth wing UVCCM during the solidarity walk for the Revolution of Zanzibar organized by the CCM youth wing (UVCCM). Samia couldn’t hide her belief and admiration for youth in her impromptu speech. She even encouraged them to become more aggressive on the available employment opportunities in their respective areas. Hon. Nape Nnauye and the likes of January Makamba, Hussein Bashe, and Anthony Mavumbe into the cabinet show that President Samia believes in youth inclusion in decision making and her apparent desire to nurture them to become future leaders. 

3: The beginning of the new chapter

The appointed cabinet marks the beginning of the new era of President Samia’s presidency. In her own words, President Samia, while counter-argue Ndugai’s raw speech on rebuking the national debt, affirmed that never shall Tanzania cease to take loans to boost its development projects. Finally, before our very eyes, president Samia has selected her preferred lineup to conform with her targets firmly. Let us wait and see perhaps the new cabinet is a gateway to depart from the ruins of the late Maguli’s legacy, which to a large extent linked to the disorientation of her presidency.