Eng. Mwajuma Waziri (Tanzania)

Eng. Mwajuma Waziri

(Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Water, 

United Republic of Tanzania)

Eng. Mwajuma Waziri's career began where Tanzania's water challenges are hardest: in the field. Born in Tabora Region in 1984, she entered public service in 2013 at Masasi District Council, supervising rural water infrastructure projects at a time when engineering fieldwork was widely considered unsuitable for women. She proved otherwise — and kept proving it, rising through the ranks on technical merit: Assistant Director for Water Supply and Sanitation (2020–2023), Deputy Permanent Secretary (2023), and, in March 2024, appointment by President Samia Suluhu Hassan as Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Water — the chief executive of Tanzania's national water administration.

A registered professional engineer holding both Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Civil and Water Resources Engineering from the University of Dar es Salaam, Eng. Waziri has played instrumental roles in designing, supervising, and implementing some of Tanzania's most strategic water projects — including the 28 Towns Water Supply Project, the Farkwa Dam, the Same-Mwanga-Korogwe Water Project, and the Simiyu Climate Resilience Project.

Under her strategic leadership, Tanzania's water sector has delivered measurable national results: access to clean and safe water has reached 93.5% in urban areas and 85.3% in rural areas — surpassing government targets — while the ministry implements the National Water Grid Strategy and works to connect the remaining 1,575 villages without official water services. According to "100 African Women Leading Africa's Water & Sanitation Future" (AfWASA & RWSN, 2026), community-based water projects under her oversight manage an investment portfolio exceeding US$500 million, and she has championed regional collaboration through the delivery of eight new hydrological monitoring stations strengthening data-driven management across critical river basins.

Her leadership style is hands-on and accountable. The compendium records her directly challenging service providers in community meetings to end arbitrary billing and prioritise repairs to leaks and broken pumps — insisting that citizens have a right to quality service. She has represented Tanzania at COP28 in Dubai and the 10th World Water Forum in Bali, contributing to global conversations on water security, climate resilience, and sector investment. In June 2026, she was honored as the "Strong Queen" of Tanzania's Water Sector — recognition of a career that has become a symbol of women's excellence in engineering and public service.

A vocal advocate for women and girls in science and engineering, Eng. Waziri believes leadership should be defined by competence, not gender. In her own words: "Water has no substitute. Without water, there is no life."

Sources: Tanzania Insight (June 2026); allAfrica/Daily News Tanzania; Ministry of Water, Tanzania (maji.go.tz); TanzaniaInvest; 100 African Women Leading Africa's Water & Sanitation Future (AfWASA & RWSN, 2026)