State guarded on Magufuli presence in top city hospital

The Government of Kenya remained uncharacteristically tight-lipped about the reported presence of Tanzanian President John Pombe Magufuli at one of Nairobi’s top private hospitals for treatment.

There was presidential level security in Nairobi Hospital’s VIP North Wing and access to the premier hospital’s presidential suites was more severe than usual.

There are reports Nation could not conclusively confirm that a senior Cabinet minister from President Magufuli’s government is also admitted to the same facility with respiratory disease, possibly Covid-19, while a second is awaiting evacuation.

The world’s media reported in the week that the President was flown in on Monday night to apparently receive treatment for a cardiac condition and a respiratory complaint, possibly Covid-19 or tuberculosis, according to Nation’s hospital sources.

Two aircraft, an Amref air ambulance and an Air Kenya plane landed at Wilson Airport from Tanzania on Monday night.

President Magufuli was not listed in the one manifest that Nation has seen, which is not unexpected given the sensitivity of the matter.

Kenyan government officials would of course not comment on the health of the leader of another nation and appear content to leave any comment, even on the mere presence of President Magufuli, to their Tanzanian counterparts.

Patient confidentiality

Far from confirming President Magufuli’s reported admission, Tanzanian officials have taken to social media to dismiss such reports. The Nairobi Hospital has also not responded to requests for comment, citing patient confidentiality.

Attempts by Nation to access the North Wing, where other VIPs such as former Prime Minister Raila Odinga are admitted, were thwarted by hawk-eyed personnel.

Those visiting patients in the exclusive wing of the hospital were required to disclose names of persons they wished to see to be allowed in.

Multiple sources, however, claim that President Magufuli was flown into Kenya on Monday in an air ambulance and has been receiving treatment at the hospital after his health deteriorated enroute to another destination, possibly South Africa, for treatment.

The 61-year-old President has not appeared in public for nearly two weeks, raising speculation on his whereabouts.

The President regularly addresses church congregants and public rallies when inspecting or launching government projects.

He last appeared in public on February 27, when he attended the swearing in of newly appointed Chief Secretary, Dr Bashiru Ali, at the Dar es Salaam State House. Dr Ali was appointed to replace former Chief Secretary John Kijazi, who died of a heart attack.

President Magufuli, while addressing mourners at Ambassador Kijazi’s burial, advised Tanzanians to take precautions against the Covid-19 pandemic.

Opposition politicians including exiled ex-presidential contender Tundu Lissu have called on the government to release information on President Magufuli’s whereabouts and his health.

However, the Tanzanian Minister for Legal and Constitutional Affairs, Dr Mwigulu Nchemba, yesterday warned against growing speculation on the president’s well-being.

“The Head of State is not a parish worker nor church elder with a routine to be seen but wasn’t. The Head of State is not a TV Presenter with a programme which he didn’t show up. He is not a leader of a jogging club required to be in the same place every day,” stated the Minister.

He warned that legal action would be taken against Mr Lissu, who has been leading the calls for disclosure on President Magufuli’s health status.

In a Twitter post that he confirmed to have authored, Mr Lissu on Tuesday chided the government for holding onto information on the president’s health.

“The President’s well-being is a matter of grave public concern. We were informed when (Jakaya) Kikwete had prostate surgery. We were told when (Benjamin) Mkapa went for hip replacement,” Mr Lissu wrote on his Twitter handle, referring to the November 2014 surgery on then President Jakaya Kikwete, who later declared himself cancer free after getting treatment in the US. President Kikwete’s predecessor, Benjamin Mkapa (who died last year) had had hip surgery in Zurich back in 2003 when he served as the country’s third President. He underwent a second operation a year later.

Mr Lissu said the Tanzanian government also revealed when the country’s founding father, Julius Nyerere, had Leukemia.

Faced controversy

“What is it with Magufuli that we don’t deserve to know?” he paused.

Mr Lissu, in an interview yesterday, claimed President Magufuli had been flown to India for treatment, an assertion that Nation could not independently confirm.

Efforts to get a comment from the Tanzania director of presidential communications, Gervas Masigwa, and the government spokesperson, Hassan Abbas, were unsuccessful as calls and email queries went un-answered.

Kenya’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials also declined to respond to queries, saying they had not been involved in any arrangements for President Magufuli’s admission to Nairobi Hospital.

The Tanzanian leader also failed to attend the East African Community Heads of States virtual summit on February 27th, in which he was represented by his Vice-President, Samia Suluhu. A devout Catholic, Dr Magufuli faced controversy over the way his government handled the Covid-19 pandemic.

Tanzania, unlike most countries across the globe including immediate neighbours Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda, did not lock down the country to curb transmission of the virus.

Dar es Salaam does not also give a daily account of infections.

It has not issued a compulsory order for wearing of face masks in public.

President Magufuli also refused to tap into the supply of Covid-19 vaccines, arguing it needed certification by local scientists.

Like his softened stance at the funeral of the ex-Chief Secretary, his officials have also changed tune in recent weeks.

Spokesman Abbas claimed that by failing to issue public health guidelines Tanzania was managing mass hysteria, rather than denying the infection existed.

The change of tune came after the country lost 10 prominent persons in February.

They included the Chief Secretary, Zanzibar’s First Vice President Seif Sharif Hamad, Bank of Tanzania (BoT) Governor Prof Benno Ndulu and former Finance and Planning permanent secretary Dr Servacius Likwelile among others.

Testing positive

Only Mr Hamad had confirmed testing positive for Covid-19 and was hospitalised for it.

Officials did not, however, confirm whether he died from it or something else.

Despite his adamancy, President Magufuli has also faced pressure from his own clergy.

The Catholic Church in Tanzania last week said dozens of its top clerics had died from ailments with symptoms similar to those of Covid-19.

The Church did not specify the actual diseases the priests suffered from.

But Gervas Nyaisonga, the President of the Tanzanian Episcopoal Conference, the highest organ of the church in the country, distributed guidelines to bishops of various dioceses on measures to protect themselves against Covid-19 while presiding over religious services.

The World Health Organisation has also repeatedly pressed Tanzania to disclose its Covid-19 infection numbers and issue public health measures against the deadly virus.

Reporting by Washington Gikunju, Vincent Achuka, Aggrey Mutambo and Nasibo Kabale