Mwalimu Juilius Kambarage Nyerere is widely regarded as the advocate of peace and stability in Tanzania and beyond. However, the critics of his legacy claim that the Kagera War between Tanzania and Uganda of 1978-1979 represents a contradiction with Nyerere’s commitment to peace and harmony. As Commander in Chief, Nyerere led Tanzanians and (some) Ugandans to fight the war against Idi Amin Dada. A lot that has been written about Nyerere’s motives for waging the war in the official narratives about the war. However, little is known about the perception of local Tanzanians on the nature of the war and Nyerere’s actual role in it. This article, uses a Banyakyusa poetic narrative “Ubwite bwa Kagera” (The War of Kagera) to examine Banyakyusa process of mythmaking about Nyerere’s perceived involvement in the Kagera War. The article argues that the Banyakyusa narratives present Nyerere as a superman, a demi-god who had mystical abilities, which enabled him to defeat Idi Amin decisively, but also as one who desired a peaceful settlement of the conflict. For the Banyakyusa, it was Idi Amin’s murderous disposition that made Nyerere declare the Kagera War to protect the innocent people of both Tanzania and Uganda.