Professional Summery

Accomplished diplomat and Senior Adviser to the President on Diplomatic Affairs with over 15 years of experience working in the higher offices within the Presidency, Vice Presidency and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the United Republic of Tanzania. I have accumulated hands-on experience in areas of foreign policy, multilateralism and thematic issues such as gender and climate change debates and processes. A member of the African Women Leaders Network (AWLN); the Women Advisory Board on Peace and Security, Office of the Special Envoy of the Great Lakes Region; the CRDB Bank Foundation; and through the Safe Haven Foundation I am also involved in social welfare courses in supporting and nurturing young female leaders and underprivileged adolescents to achieve economic empowerment through vocational training and entrepreneurship skills.

Professional Experience

Personal Assistant to the President (Diplomatic Affairs)
Office of the President, United Republic of Tanzania
April 2021 – March 2026

• Advise the President on diplomatic engagements, manage all foreign policy aspects of the presidential calendar and coordinate all VVIP high-level visits to Tanzania and the President’s official, working and state visits abroad. Most notable was the visit of the Vice President of the United States to Tanzania, Kamala Harris, Presidents of Indonesia and Germany among other notable high-level officials.
• Provides strategic coordination and advisory support on matters of foreign relations, regional cooperation and multilateral diplomacy.
• Supported the coordination of the Africa’s High Level Summit on Energy and high-level engagement on Tanzania’s clean cooking energy diplomacy.
• Supported Tanzania’s Chairmanship of the SADC Organ Troika.
• Notably coordinated the EAC-SADC Consultative Meeting on the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), convened in Dar es Salaam, thereby reinforcing Tanzania’s role as a bridge for peace, dialogue and cooperation in the Great Lakes Region.
• Coordinated and supported Tanzania’s global initiatives on gender equality, including national commitments under the Generation Equality Forum and Tanzania’s assumption as AU Champion for Clean Cooking and Maternal and Child Health.
• Participated in the campaign team for Tanzania’s candidature to the WHO AFRO Regional Director position of the late Dr Faustine Ndugulile and his successor Prof Mohamed Janabi.

Personal Assistant to the Vice President (Speechwriting)
Office of the Vice President, United Republic of Tanzania
May 2017 – April 2021

• Drafted speeches, talking points and official communications for the Vice President for her national and international engagements.
• Served as National Coordinator for the Vice President during her term as a member of the UN High Level Panel on Women’s Economic Empowerment covering East and Southern Africa from 2015 to 2017. We Advanced 27 commitments which the Government then used as a basis to identify strategic measures towards gender equality and women’s economic empowerment. Notably initiatives included the establishment of national women’s economic platforms and maternal health accountability campaigns.

Acting Personal Assistant to the Vice President (Diplomatic Affairs)
Office of the Vice President, United Republic of Tanzania
September 2020 – April 2021

• Advised on international relations, arranged bilateral meetings and prepared diplomatic reports.
• Supported the Vice President on diplomatic affairs related to her portfolio as a lead on climate change diplomacy.

Acting Private Secretary to the Vice President
Office of the Vice President, United Republic of Tanzania
December 2017 – October 2018

• Oversaw a 40% increase in the budget of the Private Office of the Vice President. This was highest increase in the last ten years.
• Directed strategic planning, work management and public communication.
• Led coordination of engagements with SADC, the African Union and Commonwealth bodies as directed by the President.

First & Second Secretary, Departments of Multilateral Cooperation and Middle East
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation
June 2008 – April 2016

• Supported Tanzania’s engagement with international institutions including the UN, FAO, IFAD, WFP, AfDB, World Bank and WTO.
• Followed up on and advised on climate change, food security, gender equality, international finance and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• Facilitated bilateral relations with Gulf countries (Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Kuwait).

Career Highlights

• Core High Level Team Member of the Africa Energy Summit held in Dar es Salaam in January 2024.
• National Coordinator to the UN Secretary General’s Panel on Women’s Economic Empowerment, serving the Vice President of Tanzania, who was a member of the UN High Level Panel covering East and Southern Africa (2016–2017).
• Presidential appointment as a member to the National Nutrition Task Force supporting President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, who served as a High Level Member of the Scaling Up Nutrition Movement (2012–2015).
• Member of the team that led the localisation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals in Tanzania.
• Member of the national team mandated to prepare for the African Climate Talks ahead of COP21.
• Member of the drafting and editorial team for the Nansen Initiative Outcome Document: “Natural Hazards, Climate Change and Cross Border Displacement in the Greater Horn of Africa: Protecting People on the Move” This document resulted from the Horn of Africa Regional Consultation held in Nairobi, Kenya from 21–28 May 2014.

Education & Credentials

• MA in Diplomacy (with Merit)
  University of Malta, 2013
• Postgraduate Diploma in Economic Diplomacy
  Tanzania Mozambique Centre for Foreign Relations, 2012
• BA in International Relations (Minor in Marketing)
  USIU Africa, Kenya, 2007

Professional Development

• Advanced Leadership Programme
  University of Cambridge, Judge Business School
  June 2025
• Transform Nutrition Programme
  Institute of Development Studies (IDS), United Kingdom
  2017
• Speechwriting for Leaders
  RIPA International, London
  2015
• Diplomatic Training Programme
  Cairo, Egypt
  2010
• Senior Management for Foreign Affairs (SOFREMCO)
  Centre for Foreign Relations
  2013

Languages

• English – Fluent
• Swahili – Fluent
• French – Basic

Leadership Boards and Public Engagments

Boards and Advisory Memberships

Member, Advisory Board on Women, Peace and Security in the Great Lakes Region, under the Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary General for the Great Lakes Region
May 2025 – Present

• Contribute to strategic guidance and policy advocacy on gender equality, peacebuilding and regional stability initiatives within the Great Lakes Region framework.

Member, African Women Leaders Network (AWLN – Tanzania Chapter) 2025 – Present

• Engage in continental efforts to advance women’s leadership in governance, peace and sustainable development under the joint auspices of the African Union Commission and UN Women.

Board Member, CRDB Bank Foundation, 2023 – Present

• Provide oversight and strategic input on the Foundation’s social investment portfolio, focusing on entrepreneurship, financial inclusion and youth and women’s empowerment across Tanzania.

Advisory Roles

Honorary Board Member, Safe Haven Foundation, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania 2022 – Present

• Serve as an Honorary Board Member of the Safe Haven Foundation, contributing to the strategic direction and growth of the Mama Jasiri Programme, an initiative that empowers young women through vocational training and entrepreneurship. A committed advocate for girls’ education and women’s economic inclusion. Have championed the programme’s mission across national and international platforms. Through diplomatic experience and strategic engagement, have helped strengthen partnerships, enhance visibility and mobilise support for the programme’s continued expansion and sustainability.

 

Community Engagment

E-Lab Mentor, King’s Entrepreneurship Lab and Frontier Technologies Lab Mentorship Scheme
University of Cambridge
October 2025 – Present

• Currently mentoring two PhD students who are also emerging leaders and innovators under the Entrepreneurship Lab (E-Lab).
• Focus on ethical leadership, strategic communication and public service innovation.

Volunteer, Kenya National Archives – 2007

• Supported archival research and preservation initiatives, contributed to the documentation and promotion of Kenya’s historical and cultural heritage.

Public Lectures

“Lessons in Power: What Advising a President Taught Me About Leadership” – Guest Speaker, King’s E-Lab and Executive MBA Programmes
University of Cambridge
June 2025

• Delivered a keynote lecture reflecting on experiences in high-level governance and leadership, Sharing insights on statecraft, ethical decision making and the dynamics of advising heads of state.