A dark cloud hung over what was meant to be a day of celebration after Rajiv Ruparelia, the only son of Ugandan business magnate Sudhir Ruparelia, died in a horrific car crash.
According to Daily Monitor, the tragic incident occurred just hours before he was to serve as a groomsman at a high-profile wedding in Kampala.
The 35-year-old businessman and rally driver was reportedly driving his high-performance Nissan GTR when the accident occurred shortly after midnight.
According to police, Rajiv’s vehicle collided with temporary concrete barriers at the Busabala Flyover junction, flipped several times, and burst into flames.
“He hit the barrier at high speed. The car overturned and flew in the air for about eight metres,” said veteran journalist and family friend Andrew Mwenda during a press briefing.
Mwenda added that chances are high the deceased man did not know about the barrier because he had just recently returned from London.
The car crashed down, creating a ball of fire that consumed him together with the vehicle. Traffic police confirmed the crash as a single-vehicle incident, stating: “The vehicle hit temporary concrete structures and overturned before catching fire. Investigations are ongoing.”
The news sent shockwaves across social media, sparking an outpouring of grief. Many expressed anger over the road conditions, particularly the unmarked and poorly lit barriers that may have contributed to the fatal accident.
Questions have mounted over the safety of such temporary structures along major highways, but as of press time, no government agency had addressed the growing public outcry.
Rajiv had returned to Kampala to participate in the wedding of his close friend Jonathan Bahizi Buteera, son of former Deputy Chief Justice Richard Buteera.
He was one of seven groomsmen lined up for the ceremony, which was scheduled to take place Saturday morning at All Saints Cathedral in Kampala.
The Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, the Most Rev. Stephen Kaziimba, was to officiate at the service.
As the ceremony went on under the weight of grief, the absence of one of its central figures left a nation mourning a young man many saw as a rising star in business and motorsport circles.
