Mukwano Industries Founder is dead but leaves a rigid legacy
Mzee Amirali Kamali commonly known as Mukwano in Uganda is dead. However, his business empire is not dead. He had trained one of his sons to do the business the way he used to run it.
Unfortunately, his method of work was dominated by rigidity and it depended on luck; these are Indians who believe in branding but never bother to concentrate on advertising. This class of Indians are rich and think they are known and they don’t need to show off. That is the belief they hold.
These were the Indian families that came here as laborers a century ago. The Kara’s owned Musicraft etc. They survived Idi Amin’s expulsion scandal and returned to carry on their trade in Obote II regime.
Whenever you would talk to them about doing radio jingles to advertise their business they thought they didn’t need any ads nor branding because they were a household name.
They needed too much conviction to change their mind. In fact, they made their very first radio ads on Yeyo soap, Nomi, Cooking Oil etc! This was after too much Kakuyege!
When Alykhan started running the empire because he is such a music lover there were some changes.
Anyway, Mzee Amirali Kamali who spoke Luganda and other local languages quite fluently, is one of the dying breed of Indians who became Indigenous, literally, served the country and respected the norms.
This applies to such other families like the Thobani’s, Hudda’s, Hussein Lira, Ddembe, Somani’s, the Madhvani’s, Mehta’s and others who weren’t as prominent like Otim Johnchandy family, the Huq’s etc. Not many of these elders are left.
Amrali Kamali lives an unbelievable legacy. Virtually each and every homestead in Uganda, from morning to evening, touches at least one Mukwano product, every day!