President Yoweri Museveni has hailed the late Tanzania President Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, the Tanzanian people’s Defense forces and the Tanzanian people for their sacrifice and outstanding support they rendered to the Uganda liberation forces and the Ugandan people in the struggle against the Idi Amin.
The President yesterday made an impromptu visit to pay his respects to the late Johnson Nyinondi a Tanzanian national who was a prime contact for the Front for National Salvation (FRONASA) forces in the struggle that overthrew the Idi Amin’s dictatorship.
Mzee Nyinondi passed away on Monday 30th this week at the age of 98 and was buried on Wednesday. Speaking to hundreds of mourners, family and friends who gathered to welcome him at Rwabikagati village, Kyerwa district in Kagera region of Tanzania, President Museveni said that he and the people of Uganda will eternally be grateful to Mwalimu Nyerere and the Tanzanian people for the support they rendered to Uganda in the struggle that toppled Idi Amin.
He said, it’s the support they received from Tanzania that laid a good foundation and prepared Ugandans for the struggles that followed led to the peace, stability and development Ugandans are enjoying today.
“Mwalimu Nyerere’s and the Tanzanian’s in general gave us the support that became the nucleus of our liberation movement that liberated Uganda and have gone ahead to contribute to peace and stability in the region, It all started here” President Museveni said.
President Museveni gave special honor to the late Mzee. Johnson Nyinondi and Mzee Katunda who is still alive for the support they gave to the FRONAS forces in the recruitment, feeding of the forces and intelligence gathering.
President Museveni hailed the existing cordial and brotherly relationship that exist between Uganda and Tanzania and shared development agenda.
“We have cooperated in generating power at Kikagate power station which has benefited the people of Uganda as well as Tanzanian’s in the Karagwe region and we are going to generate more from Nshungyezi dam which will equally propel development in the region, by boosting industrialization and the mining sector” he noted.
He called for partnership and sharing of experience between the border districts of Uganda and Tanzania in tackling common problems that affect their areas such as the threat posed by the Banana bacteria wilt and the coffee wilt disease.