Magufuli renames National stadium after Benjamin Mkapa

President Magufuli has today renamed Tanzania’s national stadium in Dar es Salaam after retired President Benjamin Mkapa.

This was during the national funeral service at the Uhuru Stadium where he said the late President was very instrumental in developing sports and the construction of the 60,000-seater stadium.

Mr Magufuli said that despite Mkapa not being interested in things being named after him, he found it ideal for the stadium to be named after the late President.

“I Know that had he been alive he wouldn’t have accepted this,” said President Magufuli.

He added: I have received many messages that requested me to name the stadium that you can see in front of us after Mr Mkapa.

Yesterday, it emerged that businessman Mohammed Dewji had led a petition that was seeking to ask the president   to change the name of the Stadium to the Benjamin William Mkapa Stadium.

According to Dewji his petition was prompted with the fact that the construction of the modern stadium was conceived during Mkapa’s administration.

The facility is among the best sports stadiums in Africa which in 2010 hosted the Brazillian National team.