The Minister for Defense and National Service, Dr.
Hussein Mwinyi on Friday last week led hundreds of mourners who turned up to
pay the last respects to the body of the retired Major General Muhidin Kimaryo
who passed away last week at Apollo hospital in India. The occasion which took
place at Lugalo Military Hospital on the outskirts of the city of Dar es
Salaam, was also attended by the Minister for State in Prime Minister’s Office
responsible for Parliamentary Affairs William Lukuvi. Other dignitaries who attended
the occasion were retired high ranking army officers who the late Major Gen. Kimaryo
worked with during his lifetime before he was appointed to lead government
ministries during the first and second phase governments. Among the retired
military officers were the former Head of Tanzania People’s Defense Forces
(TPDF) General Robert Mboma, and former Chief of Staff Lieutenant General
Gideon Sayore, retired Executive Chairman of the Tanzania Commission for AIDS
(TACAIDS) Brigadier General Herman Lupogo. Others in the list are former Kagera
Regional Commissioner retired Major General Tumainiel Kihwelu and former Dar es
Salaam Regional Commissioner, Ambassador Celestine Liundi. Among others on the list
were friends, relative’ and well wishers. The casket that carried the body of
the late Kimaryo entered into the ground at around 10:05 while being carried shoulder
high by six army officers at the rank of Major who marched in a military slow
motion fashion and lowered it down on a place which was prepared for it. After
that, the Minister for Defense Dr. Mwinyi accompanied by the Minister for State
in Prime Ministers’ Office William Lukuvi led mourners who lined up in a single
file to pay their last respects. At the end of the occasion, the body was taken
to Al-Mamur Masjid mosque in Upanga for a requiem mass and later on was taken
to a military air wing base Kj. 603 barrack at Kipawa whereby it was flown to
his ancestral home in Moshi for burial services which are scheduled to take
place today. Delivering a government message, the defense Minister Dr. Mwinyi
described the late Kimaryo as a person who had maintained self respect during
his tenure of the office and that the government has appreciated his
contribution.
The Minister for Defense and National Service, Dr.
Hussein Mwinyi standing right and the Minister for State in Prime Minister's Office William Kukuvi on the lest standing in front of the casket wrapped with a national flag bearing the body of the late Major General Muhidini Kimari, this was on Friday last week during the last paying respects of the late Kimario who died on Monday last week and was buried on Sunday in Moshi.
On his part, Minister Lukuvi said when interviewed by the media that,
the government has lost a hero who served this nation with all impunity and
with high calibre. However, he added that, the late Kimaryo dedicated most of
his time and worked tirelessly in the forefront during the struggle for independence
of Southern African states. On his part, former TPDF Chief, General Mboma described
the late Kimaryo as among the most faithful soldiers who respected all the
directives issued by his bosses when he was serving the army. He also noted that, he is among the first
Tanzanian army officers who were sent to Israel for military trainings in 1963
and that, the TPDF will remember his contribution for the establishment of the
security unit in the army for which he is the founder. Another interviewed retired army officer who
worked closely with the late Kimaryo was retired Major General Tumainiel
Kihwelu who worked with him in various army operations especially during the
struggle for independence of Southern African states at Nachingwea, Songea. He said that, the military base was used for
training soldiers of the liberation parties who fought for independence in
Southern African countries notably Mozambique, Southern Rhodesia (now
Zimbabwe), Namibia, Angola and South Africa. Major Gen. Kihwelu noted that,
during the operation to remove Dictator Iddim Amin, (former Ugandan head of
State) soldiers who invaded the Kagera Salient, the late was under his command
in the front line battle against the dictator between 1978-79. The late Kimaryo
has served as a Member of Parliament for Moshi and later was appointed the Minister in two different portfolios and in
different times during the first and second government phase. He served as a Minister for Home affairs and
for defense. Later he was appointed as the director of the Capital Development
Authority (CDA) in late 1980s. The authority is charged to look after the
development of the new capital Dodoma city
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