Julius Kambarage Nyerere

Nyerere, Julius Kambarage 

Born 1922 in the village of Butiama, Musoma district. Political leader and statesman of the United Republic of Tanzania.

Nyerere attended Catholic missionary schools in the towns of Musoma and Tabora. He holds degrees from Makerere College in Uganda (1944) and the University of Edinburgh (1952). In 1953–54 he was president of the African Association of Tanganyika. In June 1954 he became president of the Tanganyika African National Union (TANU), and in 1977 he became chairman of its successor, the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM or Revolutionary Party). In 1958 and 1960 he was elected to the Legislative Council of Tanganyika. When Tanganyika achieved home rule in 1960, Nyerere became chief minister and subsequently prime minister.

After the proclamation of Tanganyika’s independence (Dec. 9, 1961), Nyerere continued as prime minister, holding that post until January 1962. From 1962 to 1964 he served as president of Tanganyika, and since the unification of Tanganyika and Zanzibar in 1964 he has been president of the United Republic of Tanzania.

Nyerere is one of the theorists of African socialism, and the author of such books as Freedom and Unity (1967), Freedom and Socialism (1968), and Socialism: the Rational Choice (1973). Nyerere has written prose and poetry in Swahili and has translated several classics of world literature into Swahili. [18–459–2; updated]