Representing President Museveni at a Mass held at the mini-basilica in Namugongo, Dr Rugunda said the late Nyerere was a good mobiliser and organiser, who led to the liberation of many African countries, most especially those in Southern Africa.

"Mwalimu should be declared a Saint because he was born a political leader and also a fighter--On the political side, he contributed immensely to the liberation of Tanzania, East Africa and Southern Africa from Mozambique to Angola, from Zambezi River to Cape Town," Dr Rugunda said.

Dr Rugunda said other great African men, who made contributions include Kwame Nkrumah, Nelson Mandela, Samora Machel, Jomo Kenyatta, Gamel Abdel Nasser, Col Maummar Gaddafi and John Garang, among others.

The Prime Minister said Mwalimu Nyerere orgainsed people and helped them achieve their ideas.
 
Hundreds of Tanzanian pilgrims and other Christians yesterday joined Ms Maria Nyerere, the widow of the Mwalimu Nyerere, for the ninth beatification Mass for her husband held at the Catholic Martyrs Shrine in Namugongo.

In his sermon, the main celebrant, Fr Lawrence Kenyi of Kyambogo University, said Nyerere was selfless in his service to Tanzania.

"Every time before going to office as a head of state, Nyerere would head to church to attend Mass where he served as an altar boy," said Fr Kenyi.

He said the late Nyerere sacrificed for Tanzanians and left them united and lived a simple life by treating everyone as a human being regardless of their status.

"Faith is free from desire. It is that excessive desire that is destroying society," Fr Kenyi added.

The joyous Tanzanian pilgrims, majority donned in Africa kitenge outfits with scarfs of the Tanzania flags around their heads, and sang Swahili hymns, were asked to emulate Nyerere who united Tanganyika and Zanzibar to form Tanzania.

Mr Godfrey Madaraka Nyerere, who represented the Nyerere family, thanked Christians and the government of Uganda for always organising the Mass.

Mr Madaraka said he hopes Nyerere will beatified to become a saint. The intercessional prayers were organised under theme: "Happy is the Nation whose King/President fears God."

Nyerere is among those Rome declared as East African's servants of God.

They include Nyerere (2005), Kenya's first Cardinal Maurice Micheal Otunga (2011), Uganda's Msgr Aloysuis Ngobya, and Sr Amadeo, both of Masaka diocese (2011), and Sr Bernadeta Mbawala (2011) of Tanzania.

Meanwhile, Namugongo is full of activity as more pilgrims arrive ahead of the official Martyrs Day celebrations tomorrow. 

Police beefed up by its sister security agencies such as counter terrorism, intelligence and army are maintaining a 24-hour security surveillance.