Rumours swirl that Tanzania’s missing president is in hospital

Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu has questioned President John Magufuli’s whereabouts, as speculation swirled on social media that he’s fallen ill and been admitted to hospital.

“The president’s well-being is a matter of grave public concern,” Lissu said in a tweet on Tuesday. He cited public announcements of previous Tanzanian leaders’ illnesses, before asking: “What’s it with Magufuli that we don’t deserve to know?”

Lissu’s remark came after fichuaTanzania, a human rights group, reported that Magufuli traveled to neighbouring Kenya to receive treatment at a hospital in the capital, Nairobi.

It urged Tanzania’s government to provide an official comment on the report. Kenya’s The Nation newspaper reported that an African leader had been admitted to a Nairobi hospital. It said it could not reveal his name as government officials from both Kenya and the leader’s home nation had declined to provide official confirmation.

Magufuli has ruled the East African country since November 2015. He was last seen in public on February 24 during a tour of the commercial hub, Dar es Salaam, where he inspected projects and addressed public gatherings.

The president was scheduled to attend a virtual heads of state summit for the East African Community regional bloc on February 27, but was represented by vice-president Samia Suluhu Hassan.

The presidency didn’t respond to two calls and a text message requesting comment.

Bloomberg