By Brenda Namuddu
Dr.Sudhir Ruparelia, a Ugandan business magnate, was born in Kabatoro, Kasese District in Uganda. He attended Bat Valley Primary School in Kampala and Jinja Main Street Primary School for his primary education, before moving on to Kololo Secondary School. This means Dr. Sudhir Ruparelia is a nurtured Mukonzo of Indian descent from Western Uganda.
“No price can be put on Education”. This is the philosophy of Dr.Sudhir, a philanthropist who over the years through tenacity, vision, determination and drive to succeed, has built a successful business empire under Ruparelia group that incorporates education, insurance, horticulture, media, real estate and hotels. He is very passionate about bringing the best international Education systems and facilities into Uganda.
With the three schools (Kampala parents-KPS, Kampala International School Uganda-KISU) under Ruparelia group portfolio plus Victoria University, the ethos of attaining knowledge, having a strong career drive along with the ambition and will to succeed, is spread across the board that if he can make it in life, then all who pass through his various Education institutions can follow suit and go on to greater heights.
Dr.Sudhir moved to the United Kingdom with his parents in 1972 at the age of 16, when then President Idi Amin expelled all Asians from Uganda including Indigenous ones like Sudhir.
In 1985, he returned to Uganda with $25,000 in savings that he earned from several casual jobs in London including working in supermarkets, factories, butcheries, and special hire drivers and then ventured into importing beer from Kenya, a commodity which was scarce at the time.
In 2007, he was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Law in Business by Uganda Pentecostal University in recognition of investments in several sectors that have provided employment and contributed to Uganda’s economic growth.
Under the education umbrella, Victoria University has grown over the years in the higher education institutions industry as it is one of the few first universities accredited to teach oil and gas courses. Many students have been going abroad to study, spending a lot of our foreign exchange.
The university aims to provide a dynamic environment for Learning, Innovation, Research and community engagement with a commitment to play a leading role in bringing and developing high-quality, student-centred learning opportunities based on standards of excellence that are unique, innovative and difficult to match.
