The newly appointed District Commissioner for Ilemela, Mr. Amir Mohamed Mkalipa, officially assumed office on Monday, following a formal handover ceremony from his predecessor, Mr. Hassan Elias Masala, who has led the district since 2021.
Mr. Masala used the occasion to reflect on his four-year tenure and express appreciation to the Ilemela district community, citing strong cooperation as the foundation for progress.
“I was appointed on June 21, 2021, and over the past four years, I have witnessed and experienced a great deal. I am sincerely grateful to everyone I worked with together, we moved Ilemela forward. We operated as a team, and that spirit of unity made all the difference,” said Masala.
He extended his gratitude to members of the District Security Committee, the CCM District Political Committee, the area’s Member of Parliament, the Municipal Director, and the entire team of public servants for their support throughout his time in office. He urged them to continue offering similar cooperation to his successor.
Taking over the leadership mantle, Mr. Mkalipa thanked his predecessor for a smooth transition and called on district officials and residents to maintain the same level of collaboration in advancing the district’s development priorities.
“One important message I take from Mr. Masala is that teamwork made his job easier. I kindly ask you to extend that same support to me as we continue to serve our country and our President, Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan,” said Mr. Mkalipa.
The Ilemela Municipal Director, Ms. Ummy Wayayu, applauded Masala’s leadership and expressed confidence in the incoming district commissioner’s ability to sustain and build on the gains made.
“We worked very closely with Mr. Masala and achieved a lot through teamwork. To Mr. Mkalipa, welcome to Ilemela. We believe that you will pick up where Mr. Masala left off and steer us to even greater success,” she said.
CCM District Secretary for Ilemela, Mr. Hassan Millanga, described the outgoing commissioner as an inclusive leader who kept an open-door policy, ensuring constant dialogue with the ruling party. He noted that such a quality is rare and pledged the party’s support to the new commissioner.
“It’s not every day that we get such a supportive leader. We are grateful for Mr. Masala’s approach and assure Mr. Mkalipa of our continued collaboration,” said Millanga.
The leadership change follows a recent reshuffle by President Samia Suluhu Hassan involving several district and regional officials across the country.
Ilemela is among the districts that saw new appointments in the reorganisation carried out nearly three weeks ago.