The world is yet to come to terms of the sudden passing of Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza after suffering a cardiac arrest on June 8 at Karuzi Hospital where he was rushed on Saturday evening.
Nkurunziza was due to step down in August after 15 years of leadership.
The official government narrative says the President had improved on Sunday but suffered a cardiac arrest on Monday as efforts to revive him remained unsuccessful.
Burundi government announced Nkurunziza’s death on Tuesday, igniting debate across the globe what could have killed the middle- aged leader who was seen playing volleyball on Saturday at Ngozi, his native town which connects with Gitega, Burundi’s new capital city.
Cause of Death
The government of Burundi says Mr Nkurunziza suffered a cardiac arrest caused by sudden loss of blood flow resulting from the failure of the heart to pump effectively.
One of the signs include abnormal or absent breathing.
But an official who is close to power in Burundi (names withheld) told this website that the outgoing President died of cerebrovascular accident.
In simple terms cerebrovascular accident is a stroke which damages the brain tissue following loss of blood flow to part of the brain.
Symptoms include dizziness, numbness, weakness on one side of the body, and problems with talking, writing, or understanding language.
And before he breathed his last, Pierre Nkurunziza had exhibited the above signs while at Karuzi Hospital.
In medicine, the stroke (cerebrovascular accident) which leads to cardiac arrest is always prompted by a complication or an illness.
Therefore, against that backdrop, multiple sources in Burundi who wished to remain unnamed told TrumpetNews that the former rebel had been diagnosed with an acute respiratory syndrome which is caused by Coronavirus or COVID.
Going by the explanation how Mr Nkurunziza died all symptoms he exhibited point to COVID which starves the body of oxygen, and once the body lacks air, the blood flow to the brain is curtailed resulting to heart failure, breathing complications and leading to cardiac arrest.
However, no official in Burundi was willing to comment on the matter especially when asked whether the President had suffered from COVID-19.
The widow Denise Bucumi Nkurunziza had been airlifted to Kenya last week for emergency treatment having tested positive for Coronavirus. Officials say she has since returned to her country after full recovery.
But sources say, Nkurunziza also tested positive but opted to stay in Burundi considering his earlier resolve that he would never step out of the country after the 2015 failed coup which was orchestrated by his trusted army officials at a time Nkurunziza was in Tanzania attending the EAC summit.
Earlier during Presidential campaigns, World Health Organisation (WHO) was startled by Burundi’s decision to allow social gathering and huge political rallies at a time the world is grappling with a fatal pandemic- COVID-19.
Nkurunziza is survived by one wife, five children and several others adopted.
After stepping down in August, Nkurunziza would assume the position of “supreme guide to patriotism”, receive a $540,000 retirement package and a luxury palace.
Last year, Nkurunziza announced he would step down, he instructed his political party CNDD-FDD to immediately find a successor.
Avariste Ndayishimiye, the CNDD-FDD flagbearer would later win the Presidential election on May 20 after scoring 68% while his close rival, Agathon Rwasa scored 23%.
Who is in Charge of Burundi Presidency?
Article 121 of the Constitution says:
In case of a vacancy because of demission, death or any other causes of a definitive end to his functions, the interim will be assured by the President of the National Assembly or, if he is also impeded from exercising his functions, by the Vice-Presidents of the Republic and the Government acting collectively.
In Burundi, the President of national assembly is the Speaker.
And therefore, Rt. Hon. Pascal Nyabenda will take over the country’s leadership until the swearing in of the new elected President Gen. Avariste Ndayishimiye.
However, this website has learned that since the outgoing President is no longer available nothing prevents Nyabenda from organizing the peaceful transfer of power before the August 20 deadline.
Burundi decleared 7 days of national mourning with all flags flying at half-mast.
