UGANDA: MARIA Gabriel Magige Waningu commonly known as “Mama Maria Nyerere ” arrived in the country for the Uganda Martyrs Day 2024 pilgrimage.
Mama Maria, 94, is the widow of former President of the Republic of Tanzania, Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere, who died 24 years ago.
She arrived in Uganda on Monday night to join other Christians as the country prepares to celebrate the Uganda Martyrs Day 2024 on Monday next week.
According to sources, the staunch Catholic former first lady was accompanied by her grand-daughter, Hok Wankyo and arrived yesterday at Entebbe International Airport at 8:30pm.
Mama Maria has been travelling to Namugongo to celebrate Martyrs Day for 12 times, having made her maiden pilgrimage in 2007. Mama Maria missed Martyrs day in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19. The Nyerere family that attended private prayers in 2022, told the congregation that their mother was weak.
She returned last year, 2023. The Uganda Martyrs are a group of 22 Catholic and 23 Anglican converts to Christianity in the historical kingdom of Buganda, who were executed between January 31, 1885, and January 27, 1887.
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They were killed on the orders of Mwanga II, the then Kabaka of Buganda. The Catholic Church beatified the 22 Catholic Uganda martyrs of its faith in 1920 and they were canonized in 1964 by Pope Paul VI. at the St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.
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