At approximately 9pm on 6, July, a tragic road accident that claimed the life of the businessman Mr Apollo Nyegamehe aka Apponye happened along the Ntungamo-Mbarara road in Itojo.
The incident involved two vehicles bearing registration numbers Land Cruiser UBF 300Z, and Fuso UAZ 767D.
Primary police investigations reveal that the land cruiser 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.
The accident which was confirmed by Rwizi Region Police Commander Wisley Enganizi is reported to have happened at Itojo weekly market, about 200 meters from Itojo Hospital.
In the crash, sadly 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.
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.
He said the deceased was traveling with four people in the vehicle who sustained injuries and were rushed to Itojo Hospital.
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 the 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 has a 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, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and other countries. Aponye is one of the biggest grain suppliers to the World Food Programme, the Prime Minister’s office, Police, Prisons, and the East African region.
At his son’s wedding on Saturday, Aponye is reported to have said: “Now that Peter has wed, if I die, I will definitely go to heaven.”
