Kampala, Uganda: The Minister of State for Youth and Children Affairs, Balaam Barugahara Ateenyi, has come out strongly to defend city businessman Karim Hirji after a viral social media video in which a man identifying himself as Ramesh, son of the late businessman Ramesh Narundas Ruperelia, accused Hirji of sexually molesting his siblings and subjecting them to physical and emotional torture.
In the explosive video, which has dominated X, TikTok and WhatsApp since Tuesday, the accuser alleges that the siblings, Rina, Oboma, Ramesh Jr and Amina, endured years of abuse under Hirji’s guardianship following their father’s death in 1996.
But in a detailed statement released Wednesday responding to the same, Minister Balaam dismissed the allegations as shocking, deeply painful and potentially defamatory, insisting that Hirji acted as a full guardian and benefactor to the children for nearly three decades.
Balaam said he has known the four siblings since the 1990s and that Hirji and his late wife Cham “faithfully raised them, paid their school fees, provided housing, supported their businesses, and even gifted them expensive cars to help them build their lives.”
He stressed that none of the now-adult siblings, all aged between 35 and 43, has ever filed a complaint with the Ministry of Youth and Children Affairs or any government body. “It is deeply painful for an 80-year-old man who raised these children as his own to face defamatory claims,” Balaam said.
“These current allegations of harassment are therefore extremely serious, especially when directed at a guardian who stepped in when they needed support the most,” he added.
The Minister revealed that “Mzee Hirji continues to pay school fees for their children, whom he proudly calls his grandchildren.”
Balaam said he will convene a meeting with all family members immediately upon return to Kampala. “At the appropriate time, I will convene a meeting with all parties mentioned so they can present the facts, after which we may consider a proper and formal investigation into the matter. As a friend and son to this family, I remain committed to helping unite them and restore harmony,” he said.
He emphasised that the matter “cannot and will not be adjudicated on social media,” warning that weaponising the internet for personal disputes amounts to blackmail and character assassination.
“Do not blackmail your guardian on social media”
In a direct message to Rina and Ramesh, who appear central to the feud, Balaam urged them to stop escalating the fight online. “Do not use social media to blackmail your guardian or father,” he said. “Bring your concerns to us. We shall handle them with transparency, love and respect.”
“We must preserve the legacy and appreciate those who stood by us at a time when no one else was there to support us into becoming who we are today,” Balaam concluded.
The allegations have triggered heated debate and finger-pointing online, with many observers calling for a transparent inquiry to protect both the alleged victims and the accused elder.
Sources close to the family told DailyExpress that longstanding inheritance disputes, business disagreements and family rifts may be fuelling the tensions that have now spilled onto the internet.
Neither Hirji nor the accusers had released a formal statement by press time.
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