Published on 03/05/2025
Veteran journalist Andrew Mwenda, one of the first individuals to arrive at the scene of the devastating accident that claimed the life of entrepreneur Rajiv Ruparelia, has spoken out about the events leading up to the tragedy.
Mwenda, a long-time friend of the Ruparelia family, provided emotional insight into Rajiv’s final moments.
According to Mwenda, Rajiv had just returned to Uganda from London specifically to attend the wedding of his close friend, Jonathan Bahizi Buteera. The ceremony was scheduled for Saturday at Speke Resort Munyonyo and Rajiv had planned to spend the night there in order to join the groom’s convoy to All Saints Church in Nakasero for the wedding.
“He wanted to go and spend the night in Munyonyo because one of his very close friends, a young man called Jonathan Butera Bahisi was wedding, and he came from London specifically to attend this wedding,” Mwenda told journalists on Saturday morning.
Tragically, the fatal crash happened at around 1:54 AM near the Busabala Flyover along the Munyonyo-Entebbe Expressway.
Police reports confirmed that Rajiv was driving a high-performance, recently refurbished Nissan GTR when it struck temporary concrete barriers, flipped over, and burst into flames.
Mwenda, who later viewed the scene, gave a harrowing description of what transpired noting that the car was traveling at high speed when it slammed into road barriers, causing it to overturn and be engulfed in flames.
“But on his way, he was approaching Munyonyo at a place called Busabala, there were barriers on the road, and he was speeding. The car hit the barriers and turned upside down and flew for about 80 meters, went upside down. By the time it landed, it crashed into a ball of fire. So the car was burned, and he himself, inside the car, was incinerated beyond all recognition. So that is what happened.” Mwenda said.
The Ruparelia family has since announced that Rajiv will be cremated on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, at 2:30 PM at the Hindu Crematorium in Lugogo with a vigil is currently ongoing at the Ruparelia family home in Kololo.
