President Yoweri Museveni has visited the Burundian Embassy in Uganda to pay his last respects to former President Pierre Nkurunziza who succumbed to cardiac arrest earlier this month.
The former Burundian president is due for official burial on Friday, an event President Museveni will not be able to attend due to the COVID-19 pandemic that is ravaging the world.
Museveni said President Nkurunziza is remembered for accepting the advice of the East African Community to come out of the bush and negotiate with then-President Buyoya in Arusha; a move that brought peace to Burundi.
"I salute his contribution and his demise at such a young age is simply sad. Hakuna maneno mengi, ni kusema pole peke yake," the president tweeted after the visit.
"Among other things, President Nkurunziza is remembered for accepting our advice to come out of the bush and negotiate with then-President Buyoya in Arusha; a move that brought peace to Burundi," said Mr Museveni.
The President was accompanied by First Lady Janet Museveni.
Last week, Burundi's newly elected president Evariste Ndayishimiye was sworn-in after the sudden death of his predecessor Pierre Nkurunziza.
Ndayishimiye was elected in May and was meant to take office in August, however, the inauguration was sped up after his predecessor Pierre Nkurunziza's shock death.
His swearing-in ceremony took place at Ingoma stadium in the administrative capital Gitega, with the public asked to arrive early to allow time for coronavirus measures such as hand-washing and temperature checks.
Nkurunziza, who ruled the east Africa nation for 15 years, was said by the government to have died of a heart attack last week.
However, the 55-year-old took ill less than two weeks after his wife had been flown to a Nairobi hospital for treatment for coronavirus.
