Maria Gabriel Magige Waningu, better known as maama Nyerere, inaugural First Lady of Tanzania is on pilgrimage with other Tanzanians for Uganda Martyrs Feast 2019. Courtesy Photo
Maria Gabriel Magige Waningu, wife to former president of Tanzania, Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere (RIP), has made it to Uganda once again for the annual Martyrs Day .
This year’s celebration marks her 13th pilgrimage to the shines since 2007.
Media reports show that one thing that attracted her to start coming to Namugongo is her devotion to the Uganda martyrs – as the husband was.
“I am faithful like others who believe in Uganda Martyrs and I regard them as my heroes. That is why I am here for a special pilgrimage because I know that they shed their blood in these two places.” she said last year after visiting both the Anglican and Catholic Martyrs shrines.
Every year on June 3, millions of Christians make a pilgrimage to the Namugongo Martyrs shrines to commemorate the 23 Anglican and 22 Catholic converts to Christianity who were executed between 31 January 1885 and 27 January 1887.
They were killed on the orders of the powerful Buganda king, Kabaka Mwanga who accused them of disloyalty to the kingdom, after they refused to denounce their new faith.
Beatification cause for Julius Nyerere
For the last 4 years, President Yoweri K. Museveni has expressed desire for Nyerere’s sainthood.
Nyerere became a candidate for the sainthood back in 2005 when his cause for beatification was opened. On May 13, 2005, Pope Benedict XVI declared Nyerere a servant of God. This was the first step of canonising him into sainthood.
In 2017, Mr Museveni said just like the Uganda martyrs, Nyerere had “courage while fighting for the liberation of other African countries from colonial rule.”
“I will be happy if he is canonised,” Museveni said.
Mr. Museveni urged that Mama Maria is today continuing with the work started by the late Mwalimu Nyerere of unifying people through politics, by now promoting unity through the Church.
