Tanzania -After more than four decades in public service, Tanzania’s Vice President Philip Mpango is stepping away from politics with a hoe in hand and his father’s legacy in mind.
“I have decided to retire from public service and go back to farming,” Mpango said on Wednesday, speaking at the 20th anniversary of Ruaha Catholic University (RUCU) in Iringa. “It was my father’s lifelong occupation. I have served my country with commitment and integrity—now it’s time to return home.”
The announcement marked an emotional farewell from one of the country’s most seasoned public figures, a former finance minister and economist who has spent much of his life shaping Tanzania’s economic direction.
“I believe my late father would be proud to see me return to the land he so dearly loved,” he added. “My journey has come full circle.”
Mpango, 66, said his retirement is not just personal, but symbolic. It’s a handover, he said, to the next generation of leaders in a country where nearly three-quarters of the population is under 35.
“We have been nurtured, and we have served. Now it is the turn of the youth,” he said, calling on young Tanzanians to step forward and shape the country’s future.
His departure comes at a politically sensitive time. With general elections scheduled for October 2025, the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party is preparing for what could be one of the most competitive votes in recent years. Mpango’s retirement adds a new dynamic to the shifting political landscape.
Still, he had a message for the public, especially first-time voters: stay involved, stay peaceful, and choose wisely.
“I strongly urge all citizens to safeguard the peace of our motherland during this electoral period,” he said. “Let us vote for visionary and capable leaders who will manage our resources for the benefit of our future generations.”
Though soft-spoken and often seen as a technocrat rather than a political firebrand, Mpango has played a central role in Tanzania’s economic affairs for years. He was appointed Vice President in March 2021 by President Samia Suluhu Hassan following the sudden death of President John Magufuli.
Before that, he served as Minister of Finance and Planning from 2015 to 2021, overseeing budget reforms and economic strategy during a time of rapid infrastructure development under the Magufuli administration.
A PhD economist, Mpango has held senior posts at the Tanzania Revenue Authority, the World Bank, and within the government’s planning commission. Throughout his career, he was widely seen as a steady hand in often turbulent political times.
At RUCU, students, staff, and clergy paid tribute to his service. “His leadership has always been marked by humility and wisdom,” said Sister Mary Gabriel, a senior administrator at the university. “We wish him peace as he returns to the land.”
That land, Mpango said, is not just soil but symbol. A return to roots. A final chapter in a life spent in service—and, perhaps, a new one just beginning in the quiet fields of rural Tanzania.
“I’m not going into retirement to rest,” he said with a smile. “I’m going to work. Just in a different way.”
