‘I shared a school desk with Magufuli’

Retired school teacher Kasara Mnaku has been reminiscing about his former schoolmate - Tanzania's late President John Magufuli, who has died at the age of 61.

In an interview with the BBC's Abubakar Famau, Mr Mnaku said: “We lived in the same village. We were in the same class and sat on the same desk. In his early life, until he became president, we were together and he was my friend. Whenever he needed my advice he would call for me and we would talk.

“When were young we were really close and helped each other and loved to learn. This helped us to reach where we reached, I became a teacher, he became a teacher but eventually left teaching and decided to serve his country."

Another schoolmate, Elias Kwaswahili, said: “We lived in the same village called Rubambangwe and we both went to Chatu primary school. And we later met at the same secondary school called Lake Secondary school Mwanza.

“He used to be very good in class, especially in sciences. We usually find science subjects hard, especially mathematics. But he was really good in maths and that is what pushed him to pursue sciences. That is how I know him."

Mr Magufuli had a masters and doctorate in chemistry, and once worked as a science and maths teacher. He became an MP in 1995, and rose to the presidency in 2015.

The government says Mr Mgufuli - a Covid sceptic - died from a heart condition.