Statecraft & Independence
Landmark
Edward Sokoine
1938 – 1984
Prime minister and the successor Tanzania believed it was going to get
Landmark is level 2 of 4 in the Tanzania Hall of Fame: a first that opened a door, or the pre-eminent figure of their generation in this country. See how the levels work.
Why they are here
Twice prime minister, and the man widely expected to follow Nyerere. His campaign against hoarding and economic sabotage made him the most trusted politician in the country. He died in a car crash in 1984.
Edward Moringe Sokoine, a Maasai from Monduli, was prime minister of Tanzania from 1977 to 1980 and again from 1983 until his death.
He took office as shortages bit and built his reputation on going after hoarders, smugglers and corrupt officials at a time when few would, earning a level of public trust unusual for a serving politician. He was widely seen inside and outside the party as Nyerere's successor. He was killed in a road accident on the Dodoma–Morogoro road in April 1984, and the shock of it has never quite left Tanzanian politics; the national agricultural university at Morogoro carries his name.
He took office as shortages bit and built his reputation on going after hoarders, smugglers and corrupt officials at a time when few would, earning a level of public trust unusual for a serving politician. He was widely seen inside and outside the party as Nyerere's successor. He was killed in a road accident on the Dodoma–Morogoro road in April 1984, and the shock of it has never quite left Tanzanian politics; the national agricultural university at Morogoro carries his name.
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