Mukwano CEO Amirali Karmali dead

He passed on at his home in Kololo, Kampala, where he was reported to be on oxygen support for days.

Karmali, born in the 1930s is the father to Alykhan Karmali, who is currently running the family business empire that spans real estate, banking, transport, and manufacturing.

The history of the Mukwano Group dates back to 1904, when Alimohamed Karmari, the father of Amirali, landed on the East African coast.

He made his way to Uganda and settled in Fort Portal in Western Uganda. It was his rapport with the local population that earned Alimohamed the nickname Mukwano, literally meaning friend.

He started a small business which, in the 1960s, gave birth to the transport business run by his son, Amirali Karmali.
Amirali later shifted his base to Kampala. He was one of the few Asians who stayed in Uganda during Idi Amin Dada’s military regime. Nonetheless, the uncertainty during the time could not allow many businesses, including Mukwano, to achieve their potential.