PRESIDENT Jakaya Kikwete visited the Zanzibar Catholic Priest, Father Ambrose Mkenda - a day after he underwent a successful surgery on Friday to remove two bullets from his body.

The president is the first high profile leader to visit the priest since he was referred to Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute (MOI) on Wednesday from Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH).

Doctors at Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute (MOI) successfully operated on the Zanzibar Catholic Diocese's priest, Father Ambrose Mkenda and removed two bullets that had lodged in his body. The MOI Information Officer, Mr Almasi Jumaa told the "Sunday News" in Dar es Salaam that the priest was operated on Friday.

"I have just come from seeing the patient after a successful surgery procedure and he is progressing very steadily," he said. Father Mkenda was on Tuesday seriously injured by two unidentified men who shot at him twice, on the cheek and in his back at Tomondo area in Zanzibar.

"He had gone to celebrate Christmas mass at Mpendae area and as he was driving back to Tomondo, he noticed two people who were following him closely by motorcycle," said Father Mushi who has accompanied the injured Father Mkenda to Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH). The priest was on Wednesday referred to the MNH from the Mnazi Mmoja Hospital in Zanzibar.