President Uhuru Kenyatta has declared three days of national mourning for the death of the third President of Tanzania Benjamin Mkapa.
Benjamin Mkapa died at the age of 81 at a Dar es Salaam Hospital on Friday morning according to a statement issued by President John Pombe Magufuli.
Mr. Mkapa led Tanzania from 1995 to 2005 before handing over to Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete. He was born on November 12, 1938.
At the same time, President Kenyatta has directed that both Kenyan and East African flags be flown half-mast from Monday next week to the sunset of Wednesday both in Kenya and abroad in honor of the departed statesman.
“In testimony of the high esteem in which the People of Kenya hold the Late Former President Benjamin William Mkapa, the Republic of Kenya will observe a period of three (3) days of national mourning,” said Kenyatta, in a presidential proclamation.
In Tanzania, John Pombe Magufuli has declared 7 days of mourning for Benjamin Mkapa saying that he was a leader who took Tanzania through great steps in terms of development.
A former journalist, Mkapa was both the president and the chairman of the long-ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi. He was born on November 12, 1938, in Ndanda, Tanzania, and is survived by Children: 3 three children and his spouse Anna Mkapa.
The former president of Tanzania is known for leading various peace mediation efforts in the East African region, including taking part in Kenya’s post-election conciliation exercise in 2008 where he enabled a coalition government between Mwai Kibaki and Raila Odinga.
He was part of the Panel of Eminent African Personalities, led by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, which ended the post-election violence after the highly disputed December 27, 2007 elections.