The Madhvani family, once were renowned as the wealthiest in Uganda and East Africa. In 1912, Muljibhai Madhvani, then aged 14, arrived in Jinja from India following his older brother Nanjibhai. In 1912 he joined his brothers' small trading concern and helped create a business that would later account for 10 per cent of Uganda's gross domestic product. But in 1972, under Idi Amin’s dictatorship they were expelled from the country and their businesses were snatched away from them. After the expulsion of Idi Amin in 1985, the family returned to Uganda, revived the business back to health again and made fortune worth $ 200 million.
'Tide of Fortune' written by Giles Foden accounts of the fortunes made, lost and found again. The book was written by Foden on behalf of Manubhai Madhvani, the man who took over from his brother Jayant Madhvani, who passed away suddenly, and further grew the business.
The founders are now long gone, and the Madhvani Group, which is worth $200m, is now at the centre of a dispute between two grandchildren. They are the grandchildren of Muljibhai Madhvani, the founding patriarch of the Madhvani Group of Companies. The eldest grandson, Nitin Jayant Madhvani, has written letters to both the police and the head of State House’s Anti-corruption Unit, Lt Col Edith Nakalema, in Kampala, calling for an investigation into the activities of his sister, Nimisha Madhvani, presently Uganda’s Ambassador to Denmark. Nitin accuses his sister, who is a director in the group, of abusing her power in order to gain control of his and the family’s assets.
The children of the late Jayant Muljibhai Madhvani - Nitin, Nimisha and Amit Madhvani – own up to a fifth of the Madhvani Group’s assets in Uganda. The rest is owned by the families of Jayant’s four brothers – Manubhai Madhvani, Pratap Madhvani, Suresh Madhvani and Mayur Madhvani.
According to Indian culture, family property is the preserve of male children, a practice which has lately come under challenge from the modern generation. That seems to have set the stage for the conflict between Nitin and his sister Nimisha. According to sources, Nitin feels that the actions of his sister are being fuelled by some of his uncles and cousins with whom he has a long running disagreement over the management and control of the groups’ operations.
Nitin accuses Nimisha of intimidating people in order to “gain control of her elderly and vulnerable mother’s wealth”, and both her brothers’ interests in their family business. “She has taken advantage of her brother Amit (Madhvani’s) mental limitations and her mother’s (Meenaben Madhvani’s) major cognitive impairments to control their affairs and property,” the letter reads. Nimisha is accused of obtaining signatures of her mother in order to facilitate her “agenda of gaining control of other family affairs and property”. Nimisha is also accused of having opposed the family’s decision to take their mother to the Mayo Clinic in the United States for cancer treatment and neurological assessment.
Nimisha is also accused of using her connections in government to drag the office of the Inspector General of Police and that of the Minister for Security into fighting on her side. Sources familiar with the matter say Security Minister Gen EllyTumwine telephoned Nitin’s son, Hrishikesa Madhvani and warned him that security agencies would intervene if he did not immediately leave the family’s home in Kakira. Gen Tumwine, sources say, issued the directive after receiving information that Hrishikesa had locked up his grandmother, Meenaben, in one of the rooms. “I know about the problem in the Madhvani family and we are trying to find a solution to it. I discussed the matter with Nitin, but what we discussed is a private matter. It is not for public consumption,” Gen Tumwine said.
Muljibhai Madhvani
Muljibhai Prabhudas Madhvani (1894–1958) was born to Prabhudasbhai Madhvani and Laduma Madhvani in Ashiyapat in Ranavav Taluka of Porbandar, on 18 May 1894, in a Gujarati Lohana family. When he was 14, he migrated to Uganda following the footsteps of his elder brother Nanjibhai Madhvani. In 1911, at age of 17, he started working for his uncles, Vithaldas and Kalidas, in a retail business in Iganga. He was able to learn about ropes of business while working in Iganga. Later, his uncles entrusted him with opening another store in Kaliro in modern-day Kaliro district. Impressed by his business acumen, his uncles asked him to open another shop in Jinja, where he started to build his first business, the Vithaldas Haridas & Company. In 1918, the company bought 800 acres of land in Kakira for the purpose of starting a sugar factory. Muljibhai later became the managing director of Vithaldas Haridas & Company. That sugar complex, which is today known as Kakira Sugar Works, opened in 1930. By adding to the original parcel of land, through purchases, the current company land holdings at Kakira, are in excess of 9,500 hectares as of April 2009.
Muljibhai's two elder sons, Jayant Madhvani and Manubhai Madhvani, had joined him in 1946 to assist with the running of the business. It was during that decade that Muljibhai ventured into textiles and beer. Later, he set up Mulco Textiles in Jinja. He also acquired Nile Breweries in 1957. The brewery was divested to South African Breweries in 2002. Muljibhai died on 11 July 1958 in Kakira. After the death of their father, Jayant and his brother Manubhai, oversaw the group's diversification into oil and soap manufacturing, steel, tea and glass production. Then came the Asian expulsion in 1972 by Idi Amin. By then, the group had grown into a complex of 52 industrial, commercial and agricultural companies, operating in East Africa, Central Africa and Southern Africa.
Mayur Madhwani marries Mumtaz
Born on 31 July 1947 to Iranian parents, Mumtaz was one of the most natural actress ever seen in Bollywood. Her original name was Mumtaz Aksari. Her mother, Naaz was a part time actress in Hindi films. In order to supplement her family income, Mumtaz started doing child roles in films. She slowly started doing small roles as extras in films. Spotted by Dara Singh, she did 16 films with the wrestler, out of which 10 were hits. Labelled as a stunt heroine, many mainstream actors shunned her. However, the film 'Do Raaste' with Rajesh Khanna in the lead made her a superstar. She reigned over Bollywood from 1970 to 1976 when she did her last film 'Nagin.' Mumtaz has a cherubic face with attractive eyes and a well endowed body. Naturally, these features make her the favorite of all. One such fan was Mayur Madhwani, the businessman from Uganda. Mumtaz married Mayur and settled down with him in London. She has two daughters from Mayur and is at present staying in London. Mayur would always be on his business trips all over the world. Mumtaz’s daughter Natasha is married to Feroz Khan’s son, Fardeen Khan. Mumtaz’s sister, Malka is married to Dara Singh’s brother, Randhawa.
Tide of Fortune: A Family Tale
Gujarati Lohana community is a close-knit, progressive community, known for its business acumen, enterprise and philanthropy. Some of the Gujarati Lohanas who left India for East Africa attained iconic status in the corporate and philanthropic sector. In Tanzania it was the Chande family whereas in Uganda, the two renowned families were the Nanji Kalidas Mehta family and the Madhvani family respectively. 'Tide of Fortune: A family Tale' by Manubhai Madhvani with Giles Foden narrates the family tale as well as the history of Uganda.
Muljibhai opened his first retail shop in Jinja. The business flourished and Muljibhai thought of a sugar plantation and sugar manufacturing on the fertile soil of Kakira near Jinja. Initially Kakira Sugar Works acquired 800 acres but presently owns about 23,000 acres. Kakira now is the headquarters of the Madhvani Group conglomerate. Muljibhai’s eldest son Jayant was born in 1922 and second of the five sons, Manubhai was born in 1930. Manubhai and Jayant were sent to Mumbai for studies. After finishing their studies both brothers returned to Uganda, and began learning business ropes from their father. Following the success of the sugar manufacturing business, Madhvanis began to diversify. In 1952, a new oil mill complex with a refinery for oil and soap was added. And Manubhai began managing cotton ginneries. The businesses were booming but the family was devastated with the untimely demise in 1954, of Muljibhai’s wife Parvatiben at the age of 45. Muljibhai passed away in July 1958 at the age of 63. Muljibhai's sons Jayantbhai and Manubhai then helmed the business empire. In 1960, Madhvanis set up Mulco Textiles and in 1964, a steel rolling mill.
During Idi Amin's rule Madhvanis were expelled from the country and their businesses taken over. In 1985, after the expulsion of Idi Amin, the family returned to Uganda. Madhvanis returned to repossess their assets under the Expropriated Properties Act. Manubhai and his brother Mayur were back at Kakira Sugar Works. The sugar estate was in shambles. Oil and soap refineries were mere shells. But with the help of the World Bank, African Development Bank and other financial institutions, Madhvani conglomerate rose like the proverbial phoenix from the ashes.
Factories began humming once again. But another big blow awaited. In July 2006, the glass container factory in Lebanon with an annual turnover of $26 million was bombed to the ground!
The bitter blow did not weaken the resolve of the Madhvani family. The family differences were almost resolved and Madhvani Group not only rehabilitated itself but also expanded its diversification into floriculture, tourism, insurance, construction, security, etc.
Asian Voice has been unable to speak with any members of the Madhvani family. This is a very sad saga. Madhvani’s name and fame brings happiness and pride to the generations of East African Asians. Madhvani’s entrepreneurship, public services, leadership, philanthropy is a legend. With the sudden passing away of Jayantibhai, Manubhai took up the reigns of the Madhvani Group and developed extensively. For decades Manubhai was the doyen of the community in the UK and abroad. Many readers approached Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar after hearing the reports from Uganda. It is hoped the family matter is resolved amicably at the earliest.
(The recent development are based on the report in the 'Saturday Monitor' dated 8th August 2020 by journalist Isaac Mufumba of Kampala)
