On Saturday, November 25, 2023, Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan dismissed Pauline Gekul, the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Constitutional and Legal Affairs. The dismissal was announced in a statement by the President’s Office.
The statement did not provide any specific reasons for the dismissal. However, Gekul has been a controversial figure in Tanzanian politics.
Gekul was first appointed Deputy Minister of Livestock and Fisheries in December 2020, under Magufuli’s administration. She was later appointed Deputy Minister of Constitutional and Legal Affairs in February 2022.
The dismissal of Gekul is the latest in a series of changes that President Hassan has made to her cabinet since taking office in March 2021. Hassan has pledged to bring about a more inclusive and transparent government.
Gekul’s dismissal is likely to be met with mixed reactions. Some people will welcome the move as a sign that Hassan is committed to reform. Others will see it as a political purge. Only time will tell what the long-term implications of the dismissal will be.
