Muljibhai Madhvani
| Muljibhai Madhvani | |
|---|---|
| Born |
18 May 1894 Aasiyapat, India |
| Died | 8 July 1958 (aged 64) Kakira, Uganda |
| Residence | Kakira, Uganda |
| Nationality | Ugandan |
| Citizenship | Uganda |
| Occupation | Businessman, industrialist, entrepreneur |
| Years active | 1912–1958 |
| Known for | Business, Philanthropy |
| Home town | Kakira |
Mulji Prabhudas Madhvani (1894–1958), commonly referred to as Muljibhai Madhvani was an Indian-born Ugandan businessman, entrepreneur, industrialist and philanthropist. Born in India, he migrated to Uganda when he was only 14 years old. In 1912, he started his first business in Jinja. He expanded and added to that initial investment and out of those efforts, the conglomerate known as the Madhvani Group was born.
Muljibhai Madhvani was born to Prabhudasbhai Madhvani and Laduma Madhvani in Ashiyapat in Ranavav Taluka of Porbandar, India on 18 May 1894. He was born in a Gujarati Lohana caste. Quote: "Probably the success of the most prominent Lohana families in Uganda, Nanji Kalidas Mehta and Sons, M. P. Madhvani and D. K. Hindocha had much influence on Lohana migration from Porbandar and Jamnagar.." He studied up to Standard VII, before joining the Lohana Boarding House in Porbander, Gujarat, India. He dropped out shortly after Class 1.
In 1908, he migrated to Uganda, following his older brother Nanjibhai Madhvani, who had emigrated to the East African country, two years earlier. 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 trade and industry while working in Iganga. Soon, while still only 17 years old, his uncles entrusted him with opening up an affiliated store in Kaliro in modern-day Kaliro District.
The business acumen he exhibited impressed his uncles who later asked him to open up another shop in Jinja, where he started to build his first business, the Vithaldas Haridas & Company, while he was still an employee of his uncles. In 1918, the company bought 800 acres (3.2 km2) of land in Kakira, between Jinja and Iganga, 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 (37 sq mi), as of April 2009.
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