• Ruto said Magufuli easily broke with any orthodoxies in his government and management that he considered unimaginative, inefficient, mediocre or corrupt.
• He said he joins the rest of the world in praying for peace and divine solace for Tanzanian people as they confront the painful transition.
Deputy President William Ruto has eulogised Tanzania President John Magufulias a decisive, bold and fearless visionary.
Ruto in his condolence message said Magufuli was always powered by the courage of his convictions.
The DP said the late Magufuli easily broke with any orthodoxies in his government and management that he considered unimaginative, inefficient, mediocre or corrupt.
“I have learned with great sadness about the passing on of his Excellency President John Pombe Magufuli ... He signaled the commitments of his leadership through highly visible personal interventions,” he said.
Ruto said the late president was a strong proponent in word and pioneer in deed of solving African problems with African solutions.
"At the same time, the late president was a robust patriot who propagated a model of national pride that was difficult to ignore,” he said.
The DP said Magufuli leaves behind a proud legacy of a responsive public service in touch with the people’s need and dedicated to providing efficient solutions to national problems.
“He bequeathed Tanzania with historic firsts in the promotion of women’s leadership and decision making,” he said.
Ruto said he joins other Kenyans and the East Africa Community in praying for peace and divine solace for Tanzanian people as they confront the painful transition.
Earlier on, ODM leader Raila Odinga led other politicians from across the political divide to mourn the death of Magufuli.
Raila in his tribute described Magufuli as a family friend who has been on his side at “most difficult and painful moments.”
The AU special envoy for Infrastructure called for a peaceful transfer of power following the demise of the Tanzanian leader.
Raila said the tradition of peaceful and orderly transfer of power needs to hold in Tanzania “now more than ever in the interest of the peaceful and friendly people of Tanzania, the East Africa Community, and the Continent of Africa.”
“At this moment of sorrow, I call on the Tanzanian nation to remain united and peaceful,” the ODM leader said in a statement on Thursday.
“I appeal to the nation to fall back to the tradition set by Mwalimu Nyerere and followed meticulously by predecessors of a peaceful, orderly, and constitutional transfer of power.”
The African Union envoy for Infrastructure said he learned of his compatriot’s death with deep sadness.
Raila and Magufuli have been close friends, attending their respective families’ functions.
The ODM leader said they also worked together on infrastructure projects for seamless connectivity of the East African states.
President Uhuru Kenyatta has so far directed that Kenya will observe a seven-day period of national mourning in honour of the late Tanzania President John Magufuli.
Addressing the nation from State House, Uhuru said the flags of the East African Community and Kenya's national flag be flown at half-mast throughout Kenya and all diplomatic missions abroad from today until the sunset on the day of Magufuli's funeral.
"Magufuli was a champion of Pan-Africanism. I have lost a friend and an ally. Africa and the world has lost a leader who steered the EAC and the continent," he said.
The late Magufuli was well known by the locals and across the borders for his hard stance when it comes to developments and service to the people.
Until his demise on Wednesday night, Magufuli was serving his second term in office as the fifth President of Tanzania.
He died at the age of 61 after a long battle with heart disease, according to Tanzanian Vice President Samia Suluhu.
After hours of frenzied social media speculation on whether Magufuli had been admitted to the Nairobi Hospital with Covid-19, the government on March 10 put out a statement saying he was not in Kenya.