Col. Jakaya Mrisho KikweteColonel Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete (born October 7, 1950) is a Tanzanian politician and Current President. Kikwete was born in Msoga, Bagamoyo District, Tanganyika.
Education
He received his primary education at Msoga Primary School between 1958 and 1961; his middle school education at Lugoba School from 1962 up to 1965. He then moved from Lugoba School to Kibaha Secondary School for O-level education between 1966 to 1969.
The following year he joined Tanga Secondary School for advanced level education. Kikwete attended the University of Dar es Salaam from 1972-1978 where he earned a degree in Economics after which he joined the military.
Military Career
In 1983 he attended a one-year Company Commander Course at the Monduli Military Officers College in Monduli, Arusha. Subsqently, he held several posts within the Tanzanian military as follows:
1972 - 1979 Lieutenant
1979 - 1984 Captain
1984 - 1986 Chief Political Instructor Tanzania Peoples Defence Force
1984 - 1991 Major
1991 - Current - Lieutenant colonel
Political Career
Kikwete served as the foreign minister of Tanzania from 1995 when the government of President Benjamin Mkapa took office. Before that, he served in various posts as minister before he was officially nominated to be the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party's presidential candidate in the general elections, which were held on 14 December 2005. He won the election and was sworn in as president.
1988 - 1990 Nominated Member of Parliament
1988 - 1990 Deputy Minster of Energy
1988 - 1990 Member of Parliament for Bagamoyo District
1990 - 1994 Minister of Water, Energy and Minerals
1994 - 1995 Minster of Finance
1990 - 2005 Elected Member of Parliament for Chalinze District
1995 - 2005 Minster of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation
2005 - Current - President of Tanzania (Sworn in on December 21 2005)
He is the only member of constituency in Bagamoyo district who represented a constituency for three consecutive terms. He began as an MP for Bagamoyo and later for Chalinze when the district was divided into two constituencies in 1995. Allegations of corruption have dogged Kikwete since his entry into the political fold, but they have been unproven so far. Kikwete won the Presidential Election by a landslide, receiving 80.3% of the vote.
Preceded by: Benjamin Mkapa President of Tanzania 2005
Tanzania,
is a country on the east coast of east Africa. 
