This archive report was first published on 10 June 2020.
On June 10, 2020, Burundi's President Pierre Nkurunziza passed away after a sudden deterioration, despite initial recovery, at a hospital in Karuzi, eastern Burundi.
According to reports, President Nkurunziza had attended a volleyball match on Saturday afternoon and was taken to hospital that evening after falling ill.
His wife, the former First Lady, was airlifted to Nairobi on Thursday morning following a government-to-government agreement using Amref's portable isolation chamber.
President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya sent a message of condolence and comfort to the people of Burundi, terming President Nkurunziza as an outstanding regional counterpart who served his country with distinction.
The President said death had robbed East Africa of a prominent leader whose contribution to the integration and progress of the region will be sorely missed.
