Dr Migiro succeeds Dr Emmanuel Nchimbi, who has been nominated to run alongside President Samia Suluhu Hassan as her vice-presidential candidate in the upcoming October general election.
The announcement of Migiro's appointment was made by CCM's Secretary for Ideology, Publicity and Training, Amos Makalla, after a round of nomination meetings chaired by President Samia in her capacity as party chair.
At 69, Dr Migiro brings to the role decades of political, diplomatic and academic experience. She is best known globally for serving as the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General from 2007 to 2012 under Ban Ki-moon, the first Tanzanian and only the third person ever to hold the post.
Her political career at home has been equally trailblazing. She became Tanzania's first female Minister of Foreign Affairs in 2006, after five years leading the Ministry of Community Development, Gender and Children. In those roles, she was at the forefront of regional diplomacy, chairing the Great Lakes Region peace process and guiding Southern African Development Community (SADC) efforts to support elections in countries emerging from conflict.
From academia to politics
Dr Migiro began her career in academia, teaching law at the University of Dar es Salaam and later heading key departments in the Faculty of Law. She also served on Tanzania's Law Reform Commission and the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women before fully venturing into politics.
Her path within CCM has been steady, starting at grassroots ward leadership level in the 1990s before rising through the regional structures. Although she unsuccessfully sought the party's presidential nomination in 2015, she later represented Tanzania abroad as High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.
A historic first for CCM
Founded in 1977, CCM has been the dominant political force in Tanzania since independence, but leadership at its highest ranks has long been male-dominated. Dr Migiro's elevation to Secretary-General marks a milestone for the party and is seen as further cementing President Samia Suluhu Hassan's push to open more leadership spaces for women.
Born in Songea in 1956, Dr Migiro studied law at the University of Dar es Salaam before earning a doctorate in Germany. She is married to Professor Cleophas Migiro and is a mother of two. In addition to Kiswahili and English, she speaks basic French and German.
Wycliffe Nyamasege
