By Francis Alando
A fresh family dispute has placed the multibillion-shilling business empire built around Mombasa Cement and Uganda’s Tororo Cement under legal scrutiny following allegations that shares belonging to a deceased family member were transferred using forged documents.
Khalid Arvind Kanji Patel, the son of the late Arvind Kanji Premji Patel, has moved to court accusing his late uncle, Hasmukh Kanji Patel, popularly known as Hasu, of allegedly orchestrating the transfer of his father’s business interests through documents bearing forged signatures.
According to court claims cited by Kenya Insights, Khalid alleges that his father’s signature was falsified on share transfer deeds, company minutes and declarations used to facilitate changes in ownership across several companies.
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Arvind died in May 2013 aged 52, while his younger brother Hasmukh, who later became the public face of Mombasa Cement and chairman of Uganda’s Tororo Cement, died in August 2024 aged 58.
The dispute touches on several companies in which the two brothers reportedly held directorships and shares, including Mombasa Cement, Tororo Cement, Corrugated Sheets Limited, Vishnu Holdings, Standard Rolling Mills, Venus Metals Developers, Vishna Investment Limited, Kavee Quarries, Sunny Construction and Makomani Investments.
An earlier accounting cited in the report indicated that Arvind held 98,000 shares in Mombasa Cement alone at the time of his death, alongside interests in other businesses.
The latest case now raises questions about how those interests were transferred and whether the documents used to consolidate ownership were legally executed.
The family has previously faced legal disputes over the late Arvind’s estate.
In 2023, Moza Abdillahi, who had children with Arvind, challenged his will in court, alleging that the document was forged and that he lacked the mental and physical capacity to execute it shortly before travelling to India for treatment.
Hasmukh’s side reportedly defended the will, presenting forensic evidence supporting the signatures and maintaining that provisions had been made for the children’s upkeep and education.
The latest dispute adds another layer to the succession and ownership questions surrounding the family’s business interests.
Hasmukh was widely recognised in Mombasa for his philanthropic activities, including the transformation of the Kibarani dumpsite into a public park, feeding programmes, scholarships and assistance to families facing medical bills.
However, the new allegations have shifted attention to the ownership history of the business empire associated with his name.
The court is now being asked to examine the authenticity of the disputed documents and determine whether the shares belonging to Arvind were transferred lawfully.
The outcome could have significant implications for the family’s business interests and the inheritance claims involving the late Arvind’s beneficiaries.
