President Dr Hussein Mwinyi has asked all Christians to pray for the country's peace and solidarity as they begin the season with Ash on Wednesday.

Dr Mwinyi extended his good wishes to all Christians across the country as they kicked off their Lent prayers yesterday. Dr Mwinyi wrote his well wishes to all Christians through his X account (formerly Twitter) saying bless be upon them and enjoy the fruitful lent.

He reminded Christians of the mortality, penance and the loving mercy of God.

"Today (yesterday) is the Ash Wednesday and the beginning of a lent 40 days of special prayers. During this period of confession and new spiritual hope to the Almighty God, we should reflect ourselves and pray for our country toward bolstering peace and solidarity in fasting and worshipping," he said.

Lent is a 40-day season of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends at sundown on Holy Thursday. It's a period of preparation to celebrate the Lord's Resurrection at Easter. On this day of penitence, ashes are placed on people's foreheads to represent their mortality.

They are placed in the sign of the cross as a reminder that "as Christians, we die in Christ and are saved by His amazing grace."