Magufuli: The speculation and denials before his death

Presidents John Magufuli and Uhuru Kenyatta. [File, Standard]

Tanzania’s President John Magufuli, one of Africa’s most prominent coronavirus sceptics, has died aged 61, Vice President Samia Suluhu Hassan said on Wednesday after a more than two-week absence from public life that led to speculation about his health.

Magufuli, had not been seen in public since Feb. 27, sparking rumours that he had contracted Covid-19. Officials denied on March 12 that he had fallen ill. He was Tanzania’s first president to die while in office.