List of heads of state of Tanzania
Updated: 5/20/2026, 7:04:47 PM Wikipedia source
This is a list of the heads of state of Tanzania, from the independence of Tanganyika in 1961 to the present day. From 1961 to 1962 the head of state under the Constitution of 1961 was the queen of Tanganyika, Elizabeth II, who was also the monarch of other Commonwealth realms. The monarch was represented in Tanganyika by a governor-general. Tanganyika became a republic within the Commonwealth under the Constitution of 1962 and the monarch and governor-general were replaced by an executive president. After the Zanzibar Revolution, which overthrew the Sultanate of Zanzibar in January 1964, the People's Republic of Zanzibar united with mainland Tanganyika to form the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar, which was later renamed to the United Republic of Tanzania.
Tables
· Monarch (1961–1962)
Queen Elizabeth II
(1926–2022)
Queen Elizabeth II
(1926–2022)
No. → No.
1
Name
(Birth–Death) → Name
(Birth–Death)
Queen Elizabeth II
(1926–2022)
Reign → Took office
9 December 1961
Reign → Left office
9 December 1962
Reign → Time in office
1 year
Royal House → Royal House
Windsor
Prime minister(s) → Prime minister(s)
Nyerere
Kawawa
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Reign | Royal House | Prime minister(s) | Ref. | ||
| Took office | Left office | Time in office | ||||||
| 1 | | Queen Elizabeth II (1926–2022) | 9 December 1961 | 9 December 1962 | 1 year | Windsor | Nyerere Kawawa | |
· Monarch (1961–1962) › Governor-general
Time in office
Time in office
No.
Took office
Name
(Birth–Death)
Time in office
Sir Richard Turnbull
(1909–1998)
Sir Richard Turnbull
(1909–1998)
No.
1
Name
(Birth–Death)
Sir Richard Turnbull
(1909–1998)
Term of office
9 December 1961
Term of office
9 December 1962
Term of office
1 year
Monarch
Elizabeth II
Prime minister(s)
Nyerere
Kawawa
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Term of office | Monarch | Prime minister(s) | Ref. | ||
| Took office | Left office | Time in office | ||||||
| 1 | | Sir Richard Turnbull (1909–1998) | 9 December 1961 | 9 December 1962 | 1 year | Elizabeth II | Nyerere Kawawa | |
· Republic (1962–present) › President of Tanganyika
Time in office
Time in office
No.
Took office
Name
(Birth–Death)
Time in office
Julius Nyerere
(1922–1999)
Julius Nyerere
(1922–1999)
No.
1
Name
(Birth–Death)
Julius Nyerere
(1922–1999)
Term of office
9 December 1962
Term of office
29 October 1964
Term of office
1 year, 325 days
Political party
TANU
Elected
1962
Cabinet(s)
Nyerere I
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Term of office | Political party | Elected | Cabinet(s) | Ref. | |||
| Took office | Left office | Time in office | ||||||||
| 1 | | Julius Nyerere (1922–1999) | 9 December 1962 | 29 October 1964 | 1 year, 325 days | TANU | 1962 | Nyerere I | ||
· Republic (1962–present) › President of Tanzania
Time in office
Time in office
No.
Took office
Name
(Birth–Death)
Time in office
Julius Nyerere
(1922–1999)
Julius Nyerere
(1922–1999)
No.
1
Name
(Birth–Death)
Julius Nyerere
(1922–1999)
Term of office
1 November 1964
Term of office
5 November 1985
Term of office
21 years, 4 days
Political party
TANU
(until 1977)
Elected
1965[§]
Cabinet(s)
Nyerere II
Prime minister(s)
Kawawa
1980[§]
1980[§]
Name
(Birth–Death)
1980[§]
Term of office
Nyerere V
Term of office
Kawawa
Ali Hassan Mwinyi
(1925–2024)
Ali Hassan Mwinyi
(1925–2024)
No.
2
Name
(Birth–Death)
Ali Hassan Mwinyi
(1925–2024)
Term of office
5 November 1985
Term of office
23 November 1995
Term of office
10 years, 18 days
Political party
CCM
Elected
1985[§]
Cabinet(s)
Mwinyi I
Prime minister(s)
Warioba
Malecela
Malecela
No.
1990
Name
(Birth–Death)
Malecela
Benjamin Mkapa
(1938–2020)
Benjamin Mkapa
(1938–2020)
No.
3
Name
(Birth–Death)
Benjamin Mkapa
(1938–2020)
Term of office
23 November 1995
Term of office
21 December 2005
Term of office
10 years, 28 days
Political party
CCM
Elected
1995
Cabinet(s)
Mkapa I
Prime minister(s)
Msuya
Jakaya Kikwete
(born 1950)
Jakaya Kikwete
(born 1950)
No.
4
Name
(Birth–Death)
Jakaya Kikwete
(born 1950)
Term of office
21 December 2005
Term of office
5 November 2015
Term of office
9 years, 319 days
Political party
CCM
Elected
2005
Cabinet(s)
Kikwete I
Prime minister(s)
Sumaye
Pinda
Pinda
No.
2010
Name
(Birth–Death)
Pinda
John Magufuli
(1959–2021)
John Magufuli
(1959–2021)
No.
5
Name
(Birth–Death)
John Magufuli
(1959–2021)
Term of office
5 November 2015
Term of office
17 March 2021[†]
Term of office
5 years, 132 days
Political party
CCM
Elected
2015
Cabinet(s)
Magufuli I
Prime minister(s)
Majaliwa
Samia Suluhu Hassan
(born 1960)
Samia Suluhu Hassan
(born 1960)
No.
6
Name
(Birth–Death)
Samia Suluhu Hassan
(born 1960)
Term of office
19 March 2021
Term of office
Incumbent
Term of office
5 years, 62 days
Political party
CCM
Elected
2025
Cabinet(s)
Suluhu
Prime minister(s)
Majaliwa
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Term of office | Political party | Elected | Cabinet(s) | Prime minister(s) | Ref. | |||
| Took office | Left office | Time in office | |||||||||
| 1 | | Julius Nyerere (1922–1999) | 1 November 1964 | 5 November 1985 | 21 years, 4 days | TANU (until 1977) | 1965[§] | Nyerere II | Kawawa | ||
| 1970[§] | Nyerere III | ||||||||||
| 1975[§] | Nyerere IV | ||||||||||
| CCM | 1980[§] | Nyerere V | Kawawa | ||||||||
| Sokoine | |||||||||||
| Msuya | |||||||||||
| Sokoine | |||||||||||
| Salim | |||||||||||
| 2 | | Ali Hassan Mwinyi (1925–2024) | 5 November 1985 | 23 November 1995 | 10 years, 18 days | CCM | 1985[§] | Mwinyi I | Warioba | ||
| 1990 | Mwinyi II | Malecela | |||||||||
| Msuya | |||||||||||
| 3 | | Benjamin Mkapa (1938–2020) | 23 November 1995 | 21 December 2005 | 10 years, 28 days | CCM | 1995 | Mkapa I | Msuya | ||
| Sumaye | |||||||||||
| 2000 | Mkapa II | ||||||||||
| 4 | | Jakaya Kikwete (born 1950) | 21 December 2005 | 5 November 2015 | 9 years, 319 days | CCM | 2005 | Kikwete I | Sumaye | ||
| Lowassa | |||||||||||
| 2010 | Kikwete II | Pinda | |||||||||
| 5 | | John Magufuli (1959–2021) | 5 November 2015 | 17 March 2021[†] | 5 years, 132 days | CCM | 2015 | Magufuli I | Majaliwa | ||
| 2020 | Magufuli II | ||||||||||
| 6 | | Samia Suluhu Hassan (born 1960) | 19 March 2021 | Incumbent | 5 years, 62 days | CCM | 2025 | Suluhu | Majaliwa | ||
| Nchemba | |||||||||||
References
- Tanzania: Electoral systemhttps://www.eisa.org.za/wep/tansystem.htm
- "Tanzanian president earns $4,008 a month"https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/10/tanzanian-president-earns-4008-month-171004060931215.html
- the Guardianhttps://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/mar/19/tanzania-swears-in-samia-suluhu-hassan-as-first-female-president