The parliament of Uganda today passed a resolution to pay tribute to the late Dr Alhajji Bulaimu Muwanga Kibirige, the founder and Chairman of the BMK Group of companies, who passed away on Friday 10th September, 2021.
Legislators also resolved that Wampewo Avenue, a road in Kampala City, be renamed as the BMK Avenue in honour of the legacy built and left by the Late Dr Alhajji Bulaimu Muwanga Kibirige, and for his exceptional leadership and unconditional commitment towards Humanity.
A top businessman who had built an empire spanning the East African region, BMK passed on at the age of 68, in a hospital in Nairobi Kenya after a long illness. He was buried on Sunday at Nkoowe, Wakiso District.
With means of a motion, Kampala Central MP, Hon Muhamad Nsereko, moved the house on Wednesday, to appreciate Dr Alhajji Bulaimu Muwanga Kibirige as one who greatly contributed to the growth of the economy of the country, encouraged many Ugandans to explore business opportunities at home and abroad, won accolades as a champion in creating business opportunities, and for his philanthropy by donating generously to several social causes.
The motion was seconded by Mawanda Micheal Maraga, MP Member for lgara County East, and collectively passed as the house took cognizant of the contribution made to the economy of Uganda by Dr Alhajji Bulaimu Muwanga Kibirige.
The house appreciated the business acumenship of BMK having started working at the age of 14 in his father’s restaurant in Masaka and later graduating into a petty trader with businesses in Kampala and Nairobi by 1973 and Bangkok and Thailand by 1976.
On his return from exile in 1986, BMK set up the now famous BMK Group of companies, importing spare parts, reconditioned cars and motorcycles which was housed on Jinja road and was the springboard for what was to follow. BMK started the Boda Boda import business, which he grew to a level of manufacturing the famous BMK motorcycles with various branches
in Ndeeba and Masaka, and later expanded his trading Empire to Kenya, Zambia, Rwanda and China.
The house also noted that BMK did not shun the competition but rather encouraged and showed some of the budding businesses what to do, chaperoning many to Japan and China and as a way of overcoming the risk of an expanding number of entrants, he diversified in to the hotel business, starting the now famous Africana Hotel which started out as a So-room
business but at the time of his demise had grown to over 250 rooms and self-contained apartments, and also boasts of one of the largest conference centres in the country with a sitting capacity of 3,500 persons where many memorable
events have taken place.
Unlike other business persons in Uganda, BMK shared his trade secrets when he authored a book titled “My story of Bullding a fortune in Africa”, he was decorated with many honours such as the Honorary Degree of Doctorate of Philosophy in Humanities, and won the Umoja Helping Hearts Uganda award and recognition for the many years of exceptional leadership and unconditional commitment towards Humanity.
In his philanthropy BMK was starkly aware of the needs of the poor and society at large whereupon he donated generously to several social causes, by paying school fees for many disadvantaged students with promise, building mosques and churches to create community centres of focus, financing the Uganda American Sickle Cell Rescue Fund, building a cemetery for use by the community and providing office space and funding for UHOA.
BMK was Chairman Uganda North American Association (2000), founder of the Uganda Hotel Owners Association, founder of the Uganda American Sickle Cell Rescue Fund, member of the Presidential Investor Round Table (PIRT), won recognition for commitment and dedication towards the successful completion of the Presidential investors Round Table V (2015-2ol7l, was a member of Private Sector Foundation of Uganda.
BMK also won the Investor of the Year award 1997, won recognition for Outstanding Contribution to Uganda North American Association l2OO4, 2OO5), the Rafiki Award for Excellence in Local and International Business (London, 2OO5), the Rotary Club of Kampala East Vocational Award for distinguished service to Hospitality (2005) and the Uganda Awards of Excellence for outstanding contribution to business.