Tanzania Declares Two Days of National Mourning in Honor of Kibaki

Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu has announced a two-day national mourning period following the death of Kenya’s former president Mwai Kibaki.

The two days of national mourning in the neighboring country start on April 29th until April 30th, Tanzania’s State House Director of Presidential Communications Yunus Zuhura said in a statement.

During the period, Tanzania’s national flag will fly at half-mast across the country and at all Tanzanian 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,” the statement reads in part.

On Friday, a State funeral was held at the Nyayo Stadium in honor of the late former president. The ceremony was attended by several foreign leaders among them South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa, Salva Kiir of South Sudan and Ethiopia’s Sahle-Work Zewde.

Others include Rwanda Prime Minister Edouard Ngirente, Zimbabwe’s Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga, Tanzania’s Vice-President Philip Mpango, Uganda’s Vice-President Jessica Alupo, and Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland.

Kibaki, who served as Kenya’s third president between 2002 and 2013, died last Friday at the age of 90. He will be laid to rest on Saturday at his home in Othaya, Nyeri County.