Police Speak Out As New Details Emerge On How City Businessman Apollo Nyegamahe aka Aponye Died In A Car Crash
Apollo Nyegamahe, aka Aponye, a self-made billionaire philanthropist who started as a wheelbarrow pusher in Kabale and became a household name in the country, died last evening in a motor crash. He was in his 60s.
Aponye died on the spot after his vehicle hit a stationed lorry on the Kabale-Mbarara highway on his way to Rukiga District at around 9:30 pm.
He was driving to his home village, Kigo in Muhanga Town Council for the burial of a Prisons driver who died on Wednesday in another road accident in Mpigi District.
According to a police statement, the incident involved two motor vehicles bearing registration numbers UBF 300Z (Land Cruiser) and UAZ 767D (FUSO).
”Preliminary investigations reveal that the Land Cruiser with registration UBF 300Z, heading towards Kabale, rammed into a stationary FUSO truck registered as UAZ 767D. The FUSO truck had encountered a mechanical problem and was parked alongside the road in Itojo along the Ntungamo-Mbarara Road”. Police said.
”Regrettably, Mr. Apollo Nyegamehe lost his life in the accident. His remains have been transferred to the mortuary at Itojo Hospital. The two injured individuals were swiftly transported to Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital for immediate medical attention” police added.
Apollo was born in Muhanga Town Council, Rukiga District, where he grew up and started engaging in business in the early 80s.
He has since become a billionaire and his business ventures, managed through company name, Aponye Uganda Limited, include Aponye Mall in Kampala, Mega Standard Supermarket as well as Aponye Hotel located on Ben Kiwanuka Street, among other investments. Aponye Uganda Limited also produces Apo soap, Kitamu cooking oil and Ugali maize flour. It also have 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 was in coffee, beans and maize businesses during Milton Obote’s regime while supplying merchandise to Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and other countries. Aponye is one of the biggest grain suppliers to the World Food Programme, Prime minister’s office, Police, Prisons and East African region.
