Tanzania: Vice President Nchimbi Resigns

What the report says

Tanzania’s Vice President Emmanuel Nchimbi has said he will resign from office on September 4, according to reporting distributed by AllAfrica from Capital FM in Nairobi. The article says Nchimbi told President Samia Suluhu Hassan that he would step down from the vice presidency and retire from politics and public service.

Nchimbi reportedly linked his decision to Suluhu’s wish for change, saying he had previously pledged to support her and the country to the best of his ability and would leave office if she felt another vice president was needed. His resignation is set to take effect under provisions of Tanzania’s constitution. The piece notes that the Vice President’s Office did not post the resignation letter on social media, while local outlet Swahili Times confirmed the move.

The development follows recent pressure around Nchimbi’s position and comes about a month after he publicly called for a new constitution at a human rights defenders meeting in Dar es Salaam. In that speech, he argued that constitutional reform would support human rights, governance and democracy. The report adds that Tanzania’s constitutional review process began in 2011 but stalled in 2014, and that Suluhu has previously suggested it could be revived before 2030. The ruling CCM party also pledged to continue the process in its 2025 manifesto.