THIS year the cpimtry needs to ensure that elections are conducted peacefully as Mwalimu Nyerere would have wished, a veteran cabinet minister has declared,Paul Kimiti, the chairman of the Mwalimu Nyerere Foundation) made this observation at the commemoration of 103 years from the birth ofo the late founder president, organized by the foundation.

He said that Mwalimu valued equality in all areas, callomg on stakeholders to help expand the foundation's reach so that his legacy is preserved across the country.

He urged the government to continue supporting the Foundation, stressing that it should be seen not as a political body, but as an institution for honoring the Father of the Nation.

“We want to expand our reach and help build unity,” he said, urging the government to fast-track the construction of the Mwalimu Nyerere Museum in Dodoma, intended to house various historical memento as both a heritage and an economic asset.

Meanwhile, Edward Nyerere, the grandson of the late Mwalimu by his son John Nyerere (died March 2021) said his grandfather left behind a peaceful, united country, bound together by the Kiswahili language.

He urged Tanzanians to support President Samia Suluhu Hassan in the upcoming elections to help preserve the legacy of the founder president.

In the ceremony, guest of honour Vice President Dr. Philip Mpango said that the late Mwalimu’s foreign policy standpoint of non-alignment helped Tanzania remain a peaceful and secure country.

He similarly urged the public to turn out in large numbers to register in the second phase of the permanent voter register, and to conduct peaceful campaigns and vote peacefully in the 2025 General Elections.

Tanzania’s foreign policy os still guided by the non-alignment doctrine that Mwalimu espoused, emabling the country to avoid ideological enmity with groups of nations, he said.

He praised President Samia Suluhu Hassan for maintaining good relations with neighboring countries and strengthening Tanzania’s global ties, affirming that since joining the United Nations on December 14, 1961, Tanzania has been a key participant in international affairs, including the founding of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) in 1963, the Group of 77 (G-77) in 1964, and the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) in 1980.

The commemoration was an opportunity for Tanzanians to reflect on the importance of national unity—a cause that Nyerere passionately championed as a pillar of good governance, he added.