Tanzania Declares Two Days of National Mourning for Kibaki

Tanzania president Samia Suluhu has declared two days of national mourning for the late former President of the Republic of Kenya, Mwai Kibaki.

In a statement, the President said that the mourning will begin on Friday, April 29, to Saturday, April 30. He ordered all the flags to be flown half must across the entire territory of Tanzania and all the country’s diplomatic missions abroad.

“President Samia conveyed her heartfelt condolences to the people of Kenya and urged Tanzanians to join in solidarity with their neighbors during this difficult period as they mourn the death of their former leader.

“I request all the people of Tanzania to stand with our neighbors in Kenya who are going through a difficult period,” a statement released by the Head of Communication from Suluhu’s office said.

Kenya today marks a national holiday as the State Funeral service of the country’s third President is being held at the Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi.

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Many guests from different countries have made their way to the stadium, including Tanzania deputy president Philip Mpango. Two more deputy presidents have also confirmed attendance. They are Jessica Alupo of Uganda and Constantino Chiwenga of Zimbabwe.

Three presidents have confirmed to attend Kibaki’s State Funeral service at the Nyayo National Stadium. These are South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa, South Sudan’s Salva Kiir Mayardit, and Ethiopia’s Sahle-Work Zewde.

Rwanda’s Prime Minister Édouard Ngirente will also be in attendance.

Others are the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Patricia Scotland, Sri Lanka’s Special Envoy Jayathma Wickramanayake, South Africa’s International Relations Minister Naledi Pandor, and South Sudan’s Foreign Affairs Minister Mayiik Ayii Deng.

On Saturday, Kibaki will be laid to rest in his home in Othaya Nyeri County. Security has been beefed up in the area and along the road from Nairobi to ensure a smooth ceremony for Kenya’s third president. 15,000 people will be allowed to attend the burial ceremony.

Preparations for the final mass at the Othaya Approved School, where the funeral service will be held – and the burial place at his home – are in top gear, with the military taking charge of all the work. Several government parastatals, including Kenya Power and Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA), have been deployed to give the town a makeover. The Nyeri County Fire department has also been deployed to assist with cleaning the home, which remains cordoned off to the public.