MAKINDYE-SSABAGABO, Uganda — Businessman Rajiv Ruparelia, the managing director of the Ruparelia Group and son of prominent tycoon Sudhir Ruparelia, died early Saturday in a single-vehicle crash near the Busabala Flyover, police said.
According to a press statement released Saturday by police spokesperson SP Kananura Michael, the crash occurred at approximately 1:54 a.m. local time at traffic lights on the Busabala Flyover in Makindye-Ssabagabo, Wakiso District.
Dr.Sudhir with his only son Rajiv
Police said Ruparelia was driving a Nissan GTR from Kajjansi toward Munyonyo when the vehicle collided with temporary pavements at a roundabout on the flyover. The vehicle then overturned and caught fire, resulting in Ruparelia’s immediate death.
Traffic Police spokesperson, Michael Kananura said, “Preliminary investigations indicate that the driver lost control of the vehicle after colliding with temporary pavements installed at the roundabout section of the flyover.”
“The vehicle subsequently overturned and caught fire, leading to the instant death of the driver, identified as Mr. Rajiv Ruparelia.”
Kampala Metropolitan Deputy Police spokesperson Luke Owoyesigyire described the incident as a “single fatal crash.”
Owoyesigyire said: “On 03/05/2025 at 1:54am, a white Nissan GTR (UAT 638L) crashed, overturned and caught fire at Busabala flyover” in Makindye-Ssabagabo, Wakiso District.
He added: “We have been informed that the driver was Rajiv Ruparelia (35) . He died at the scene. Investigations are ongoing.”
Witnesses and video footage from the scene showed the car engulfed in flames, with thick smoke billowing from the wreckage.
The businessman, who recently returned from UK, had posted a picture of his child on social media just 15 hours before the accident, a final, tender moment that has deeply moved friends and followers.
Rajiv’s passing comes amid a worrying rise in road traffic deaths in Uganda.
According to police records, road fatalities have steadily increased over the past three years—from 4,534 deaths in 2022, to 4,806 in 2023, and 5,144 in 2024.
That amounts to an average of 14 people dying every day on Ugandan roads. Motorcyclists and pedestrians account for the largest share of victims, but high-speed crashes along major highways such as the Entebbe Expressway have also claimed many lives.
Profile
Rajiv, the son of Ugandan business magnate Dr. Sudhir Ruparelia, served as the Managing Director of the Ruparelia Group, one of Uganda’s largest privately-owned conglomerates with interests in real estate, education, hospitality, and finance.
Born on January 2, 1990, Rajiv was educated in the UK, earning a degree in Financial Management from Regent’s University London.
He returned to Uganda in 2014 and steadily rose through the ranks of the family business.
By 2017, he had been appointed managing director, overseeing some of the Group’s landmark projects such as Speke Apartments, Kingdom Kampala, and Kampala Boulevard.
In addition to business, Rajiv was a passionate motorsport enthusiast and rally driver. He founded the Rajiv Ruparelia Rally Team and played a key role in reviving rally racing in Uganda.
His energy and youthfulness endeared him to many, particularly within the corporate and sporting communities.
He was also known for his humanitarian work through the Ruparelia Foundation, which supports education, healthcare, and environmental initiatives. Rajiv is survived by his wife Naiya and their children.
The Ruparelia Group has yet to issue an official statement, but tributes have begun pouring in from across the country, with many describing Rajiv as a visionary, a kind soul, and a generational leader.
“Rest in eternal peace, dear brother Rajiv Ruparelia. May Allah embrace you in warmth and grant you paradise. Until we meet again. I am out of words,” said close friend Sulaiman Bukenya according to Chimpreports.