Jakaya Kikwete Biography

Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete is the current President of the United Republic of Tanzania who succeeded Benjamin Mkapa. He was elected on a CCM ticket, a party that is very popular in that country. The lively East African President is credited with a lot of changes and transformations in the East African state. The President is hailed to be out going, down to earth, accessible and media friendly. He hails from a leader’s family and probably that is the reason he rose through the ranks to become Tanzania’s most powerful man. His grandfather, Mrisho Kikwete was a local chief. His father was a District Commissioner during the colonial days, Regional Secretary and then an Ombudsman when Tanzania got its independence. There is no doubt that he learnt much of his leadership from these two highly influential personalities in his life. All along his school life, he was effortlessly elected into leadership positions and this led to his easy election in CCM and TANU youth wings after graduating from school. He is now in his second term, in power, after winning decisively during the last general elections. The professional economist has also been elected as head of regional organizations like the chairman of the AU and SADC