“My Dad Took Us To See Lions, Then Car Refused To Start In Front Of Over 20 Lions” — Sudhir Reflects On His Childhood In Kasese

Sudhir Ruparelia has recounted his family’s deep historical ties to Uganda, his childhood in Kasese surrounded by wildlife, and the circumstances that led to his departure during the 1972 expulsion of Asians.

Speaking during a conversation at Crane Chambers with Pan African Pyramid speaker Andrew Irumba Katusabe, Ruparelia said his family has lived in East Africa for more than a century, describing himself as a fourth-generation Ugandan.

He said his great-grandfather first arrived in Mombasa in 1897 before the family later settled in Uganda. His father was born in Kampala in 1932, while he was born at Nakasero Hospital in 1956. He added that his children were also born in Uganda, underscoring the family’s long presence in the country.

Ruparelia recalled growing up in Katwe–Kabatoro in Kasese District near Queen Elizabeth National Park, where wildlife often moved close to residential areas. He described regular encounters with elephants, lions, buffaloes, hippos, and antelopes.

He said elephants would sometimes enter their compound at night in search of food waste, and on one occasion, after finding no leftovers when his mother had travelled and no cooking had taken place, the animals reportedly became agitated and damaged part of the house.

He also recounted a separate incident during a family drive in his father’s Volkswagen inside the game park, when the vehicle stalled in front of a pride of about twenty lions. The family was briefly stranded before the engine restarted and they managed to drive away safely.

Despite these experiences, Ruparelia said he came from a stable, middle-class background. His family ran a shop and petrol station in Kabatoro and placed strong emphasis on education. He attended boarding school in Kampala from the age of five, continued studies in Jinja between 1966 and 1970, and later returned to Kampala for secondary education.

His education was interrupted in 1972 when then-President Idi Amin ordered the expulsion of Asians from Uganda, giving them 90 days to leave the country. He said he remained in Uganda until the final days of the deadline, even as many families had already departed.

Ruparelia said he was initially reluctant to leave because Uganda was the only home he had known and he held a Ugandan passport, making the decision deeply personal.

He eventually left on November 5, 1972, at the age of 16. He said he personally arranged his ticket using part of the approximately Shs300,000 left to him by his parents. He also used some of the funds to assist other families who could not afford travel, including a family of five.

That departure marked the beginning of his life in exile, which later saw him rebuild his life in the United Kingdom before returning to Uganda and becoming one of East Africa’s leading business figures.