KAMPALA, UGANDA: Popular Ugandan Businessman Apollo Nyegamehe commonly known as Aponye on Thursday died in a fatal road crash after a vehicle in which he was travelling rammed into a Stationary trailer along the Mbarara-Kabale highway.
Aponye who was headed to Rukiga, his home district in his V8 Land cruiser (UBF300Z) died on the spot when his vehicle crashed into the stationary truck at around 9:30 pm, according to Rwizi police.
A self-made billionaire and philanthropist who started as a wheelbarrow pusher in Kabale had become a household name in the country, popularly known for the business name Aponye (an initial of his two names Apollo Nyegamehe).
Who was Aponye?
Apollo was born in Muhanga Town Council, Rukiga District, where he grew up and started engaging in business in the early 80s.
He went on to become a billionaire and his business ventures under the conglomerate Aponye Uganda Limited included; the Aponye Mall in Kampala which houses his Mega Standard Supermarket, Aponye Hotel located on Ben Kiwanuka Street, Aponye Mall in Ntinda, among others.
He also dealt in the manufacturing business with the company producing; Apo soap, Kitamu cooking oil and Ugali Maize flour. In transportation, Aponye owned a fleet of trailers that park at Nalukolongo in Kampala.
He established Panto Bar and made a lot of money from smuggling goods to the Republic of Rwanda.
He ventured into the coffee, beans and maize businesses during Milton Obote’s regime while supplying merchandise to Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and other countries.
At the time of his death, his company was one of the biggest grain suppliers to the UN’s World Food Programme, the Prime minister’s office, Police, Prisons and the East African region.
Aponye became more popular during the Covid-19-induced lockdown in 2020 after supplying government beans and maize flour which were distributed to vulnerable Ugandans affected by the measures announced by President Museveni to contain the spread of the virus in the country.
Speaking at his son’s wedding on Saturday, the late is reported to have said: “Now that Peter has wed, if I die, I will definitely go to heaven.”
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