DAR ES SALAAM — President Samia Suluhu Hassan has accepted the resignation of Tanzania’s Vice President Emmanuel John Nchimbi, clearing the way for a constitutional process to choose his successor.
Nchimbi will leave office on September 4, 2026, rather than immediately. A statement issued by Chief Secretary Moses Kusiluka said President Hassan had received his resignation request and approved it, adding that constitutional procedures to appoint another vice president would follow.
The acceptance came hours after Nchimbi announced that he was stepping down from the vice-presidency and retiring from both active politics and public service.
In his resignation statement, Nchimbi said he had previously promised President Hassan that he would serve her and the country faithfully but would give up the position if she believed another vice president was needed.
“I have become convinced, without doubt, that Her Excellency the President wants change,” he said, adding that he had therefore decided to honour that commitment.
Nchimbi did not explain what specifically led him to conclude that the President wanted a change, while the government statement accepting his resignation did not give a reason for his departure.
His resignation notice cited Articles 50(2)(c) and 149(2) of Tanzania’s Constitution. The latter provision allows a resignation to take effect on a later date specified in the notice, making September 4 the date on which Nchimbi is due to formally cease holding office.
Attention will then move to the choice of a new vice president. Under the constitutional procedure reported by Tanzanian media, the President must appoint a replacement as soon as possible and no later than 14 days after the outgoing vice president ceases to hold office. The nominee must also be confirmed by a majority vote in the National Assembly.
No successor was named in the presidential statement announcing the acceptance of Nchimbi’s resignation.
Nchimbi’s departure comes less than 10 months after he was sworn in on November 3, 2025, following the general election in which he served as Hassan’s running mate. Before becoming vice president, he had served as secretary-general of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi party.
His resignation also follows renewed attention to comments he made in July about constitutional reform, justice and human rights. At an event hosted by a rights group, Nchimbi urged Tanzanians to continue pushing for a new constitution, remarks Reuters reported had drawn criticism from some members of CCM.
Those remarks form part of the political context surrounding his departure, but neither Nchimbi nor the presidential statement identified them as the reason for his resignation.
With Hassan having accepted his request, the immediate focus is now on September 4, when Nchimbi’s resignation takes effect, and on the constitutional steps that will follow to nominate and secure parliamentary approval for Tanzania’s next vice president.
