President Uhuru Kenyatta has ordered 3 days of national mourning during which the Kenyan and East African flags will fly at half mast in honour of former Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa who passed on early this morning. Tanzania’s President John Magufuli said the Nation's third president who served as head of state from 1995 to 2005, died in a hospital in Dar es Salaam.
Magufuli has declared a seven day mourning period during which all flags will be flown at half-mast to honor the late who led several regional peace mediation efforts in office and afterwards. Mkapa was one of the key figures who negotiated the 2008 post election peace deal between President Mwai Kibaki and Raila Odinga that ended the post election violence and led to the grand coalition government in Kenya. President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga have since sent messages of condolences describing the departed as an outstanding leader and friend who lobbied for peace and integration in the region
