A six-year-old YouTube star known in Burundi for his popular comedy sketches has died of malaria, his manager says.

Axar.az reports citing foreign media.

Darcy Irakoze, known as Kacaman, was a primary school pupil who performed online and in theatres.

He contracted malaria on Wednesday and died one day later.

Malaria has killed over 1,800 people in Burundi this year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). More than five million cases have been recorded in the country since January.

The disease is one of the main killers of children in Africa, where it claims the lives of more than 2,500 children each day, according to the UN children's agency, Unicef.

Darcy last performed on 2 August with Kigingi, a popular Burundian comedian, and was scheduled to perform in another comedy event organised by Kigingi.

Kigingi told the BBC that the death was a great loss personally and for Burundi's entertainment industry.

Darcy's death has sparked more debate on the high number of malaria cases in the country this year.