Zambia’s founding father Kenneth Kaunda has been admitted to hospital after feeling “unwell”, a statement from his office says.
The 97-year-old is one of the last surviving figures from Africa’s anti-colonial struggle of the 1950s.
He became Zambia’s first president in 1964.
The statement says that Dr Kaunda is “requesting all Zambians and the international community to pray for him as the medical team is doing everything possible to ensure that he recovers”.
There is no indication of what might be the matter.
Dr Kaunda, who left power in 1991, has been in hospital several times before.
Meanwhile, Zambia’s President Edgar Lungu has asked people to pray for his predecessor Kaunda.
“I call the nation to prayer for our beloved KK who is hospitalised, that God may touch him with His healing hand,” Mr Lungu tweeted.
