Stephen Masato Wasira (born 1 July 1945 in Korosero (Misisi) village, Sazira ward, Bunda District, Mara Region) is a Tanzanian CCM politician who began his political career in the

Tanganyika African National Union The Tanganyika African National Union (TANU) was the principal political party in the struggle for sovereignty in the East African state of Tanganyika (now Tanzania). The party was formed from the Tanganyika African Association by Julius Nyere ...

(TANU) Youth League at age 13. Throughout his career, he has held positions as Regional Commissioner, Minister in various portfolios, and served multiple terms as Member of Parliament for Bunda constituency between the 1980s and 2015, including a continuous 2-five-year term from 2005 to 2015. In President

Jakaya Kikwete Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete (born 7 October 1950) is a Tanzanian politician who was the List of Presidents of Tanzania, fourth president of Tanzania, in office from 2005 to 2015. Prior to his election as president, he was the Ministry of Foreign Aff ...

second term, he served as the Minister of State in the President's Office for Social Relations and Coordination since 2010. He was selected as the Vice Chairman (Mainland) in Chama cha Mapinduzi ssucceeding

Abdulrahman Kinana Abdulrahman Omari Kinana is a Tanzanian politician who served as the first Speaker of the East African Legislative Assembly from 2001 to 2006. He has been secretary-general of Chama Cha Mapinduzi, the ruling party, from 2012 to 2018. Biography ...

Background

Wasira served as Deputy Minister of Agriculture in the first phase Government under President

Julius Nyerere Julius Kambarage Nyerere (; 13 April 1922 – 14 October 1999) was a Tanzanian politician, anti-colonial activist, and political theorist. He governed Tanganyika (1961–1964), Tanganyika as prime minister from 1961 to 1962 and then as presid ...

and also served as the Deputy Minister for Local Government and later as the Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Development under the second phase President

Ali Hassan Mwinyi Ali Hassan Mwinyi (8 May 1925 – 29 February 2024) was a Tanzanian politician who served as the second president of the United Republic of Tanzania from 1985 to 1995. Previous posts included Minister for Home Affairs and Vice President. He a ...

. He was appointed as Minister of Water on January 4, 2006, when

, who had been elected President, named his new cabinet. He was then moved to the position of Minister for Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives on October 15, 2006, and on February 12, 2008, he was named as the Minister in the Prime Minister's Office for Regional Administration and Local Government. On November 24, 2010, Wasira was named Minister of State in the President's Office for Social Relations and Coordination in the newly formed cabinet after the October 2010 elections. Within the ruling

Chama cha Mapinduzi The Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM, ) is the dominant, ruling party in Tanzania and the second longest-ruling party in the history of Africa, only after the True Whig Party of Liberia. It was formed in 1977, following the merger of the Tanganyika A ...

, most recently he was a member of the 370-member National Executive Committee (NEC), the highest policy and decision-making body of the ruling party. He served in this position since 2007. In November 2012, he was overwhelmingly re-elected by the party's National Congress to serve another five-year term. Also, in 2011, he was elected a member of the party's powerful 28-member Central Committee (CC) He continued serving as a member of the Central Committee after being re-elected in February 2013 up to December 2017. and later returned for another term from 2022-2023. His leadership role in the party expanded when he was selected the Vice Chairman in January 2025, succeeding

William Shayo
"CCM's New Vice Chair, Wasira: A career defined by service, advocacy"
''The Citizen'' (Mwananchi Communications), January 19, 2025 retrieved January 23, 2025.

Education

*BA in Economics & International Studies,

American University The American University (AU or American) is a Private university, private University charter#Federal, federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Its main campus spans 90-acres (36 ha) on Ward Circle, in the Spri ...

Washington, DC Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and Federal district of the United States, federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from ...

, USA. *MA in Economics (Applied Economics),

, USA. *Masters in Public Administration,

, USA.

References

External links

Official website for Stephen M. Wasira
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wasira, Stephen Masato 1945 births Living people People from Mara Region Chama Cha Mapinduzi MPs Tanzanian MPs 2010–2015 Government ministers of Tanzania American University alumni American University School of Public Affairs alumni