Ruto sends Joho, Oscar Sudi to comfort Tanzania President Suluhu after husband’s death

President William Ruto has dispatched Hassan Joho and Oscar Sudi to Tanzania to offer his heartfelt condolences to President Samia Suluhu Hassan following the loss of her husband, Mzee Hafidh Ameir Hassan. The Cabinet Secretary for Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs conveyed Ruto's message of sympathy and support to the grieving Tanzanian leader and her family, while Sudi offered his own words of comfort.

Kenyan officials accompanied Joho and Sudi during their visit, assuring President Samia and her family of Kenya's unwavering solidarity during this challenging time.

Hafidh Ameir Hassan, a retired agricultural officer and academic, passed away on September 7, 2026, at Emilio Mzena Memorial Hospital in Zanzibar, after battling a heart condition. He was laid to rest in Kizimkazi, Zanzibar, on the same day. The news of his death prompted an outpouring of condolences from across East Africa, including from President Ruto, who remembered Ameir as a devoted husband and cherished father.

The couple had been married since 1978 and had four children together. Ameir served as Tanzania's First Gentleman after Samia's election as the country's first female president in 2021, marking a historic first for Tanzania. Despite his prominent role as First Gentleman, Ameir generally kept a low profile and maintained a private life, focusing on his work in agriculture and academia.

Joho and Sudi's visit to Tanzania underscores the deep political, economic, and social ties between Kenya and Tanzania, as the two nations continue to cooperate in various areas of mutual interest.