It’s African to recollect one’s good attributes after their death many times mixed with a few lies for a decent funeral. Those true to their character will stand out like Raila Amolo Odinga, the Kenya’s political enigma who passed on October 15,2025 sending shock waves through the world.
I am not close to two great people whose character and position in our society needs several books written. Our first Lady Janet Kataha Museveni and Dr. Sudhir Ruparelia, the master of economic, social and now spiritual resilience.
I was close to Rajiiv (RIP) and somehow felt into a rare father-son relationship based on understanding each other and love. I had witnessed first-hand how Sudhir was mentoring his son as if to say prepare, I am going.
So, when the news of Rajiv’s passing went out, I could personally not hold but I quickly imagined Sudhir is devastated that he can’t walk, latter I imagined he would lose the steam and focus on his ongoing projects.
Imagine an African man losing such a son? But Sudhir has remained strong, launching Pearl Towers, building Kabira extension attending social functions and now graduation at Victoria University with rare tours.
The resilience unmatched.
Sudhir continued to put up towers even during could-19 period when the whole world was economically down and on its knees, the richest man in East Africa was up towering. He is our, biggest tax pay, too stuck to his Indian Community but extremely popular as if Ugandan. Who is Sudhir Ruparelia and where does he pick the resilience?
By whatever Standard thought, Sudhir’s empire was supposed to collapse under the mafia scheme of DFCU Vs Crane Bank and Bank of Uganda.
The narrative was that Sudhir had abused savers’ funds in Crane Bank but even with the best lawyers in town, Sudhir beat the mafia scheme from the Central Bank to his door-step, who is Sudhir what is this resilience, an asset above social and economic capital. The resilience
During the Crane Bank Saga, I heard many of my colleagues in the media confess they were Sudhir’s friends too close that they even chat with him on WhatsApp yet they were picking pigs from those who were fighting, one day I asked one that what if he discovers your same, he said Sudhir knows it but he is not petty, and later I met Sudhir with this guy enjoying a chat at Kabira. What social resilience is this man.
I have also listened to find warning that it’s risky for one to invest I many enterprises. The argument is that the strong ones will eat into the weaker ones hence collapse and there are many such examples in Uganda. Sudhir runs real estate, hospitality, education and horticulture enterprises and reports progress year in year out. Who is Sudhir Ruparelia? What is it that we have to learn from him? Can Sudhir be hired (requested) to visit our students in universities occasionally to build the resilience concept in our new entrepreneurs, but who is Sudhir?
This is my observation and opinion over the years. I have not had opportunity to be close to Sudhir but I was to Rajiv. I have not studied at Victoria University to be able to steal a moment of Sudhir’s lectures but I ask every day, the resilience therapy in Sudhir.
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