John Pombe Magufuli, 56, was sworn in as the fifth President of Tanzania. Raised from humble beginnings, Magufuli has spoken about his childhood, saying: "Our home was grass thatched and like many boys I was assigned to herd cattle, as well as selling milk and fish to support my family."
Here are key facts about the new President:
- Magufuli is a former Mathematics and Chemistry teacher who later became an industrial chemist. He was awarded a doctorate in Chemistry from Dar es Salaam University in 2009.
- A devout Catholic, Magufuli enjoys singing in the church choir and playing traditional drums.
- Known as "The Bulldozer" for his work as minister for works, Magufuli drove a program to build roads across the country. Those close to him describe him as keen on details and dedicated to completing assignments.
- Magufuli has a reputation for not tolerating corruption. According to Joseph Warioba, a former prime minister, Magufuli supervised the execution of large projects worth trillions of shillings without being implicated in any corruption scandal.
- Magufuli is married with five children. His wife, Janet Magufuli, teaches at Mbuyuni Primary School, where their children also attended school.
During his campaign, Magufuli portrayed himself as a humble man from a poor background, pledging to improve people's welfare. "I know what it means to be poor. I will strive to help improve people’s welfare," he said.
The recovered account cited reporting by The Standard.
