President Museveni is today expected to honour 33 individuals as the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) marks 40 years in power, celebrating achievements since it took control of government in 1986 after a five-year guerrilla war in the Luweero Triangle. The recipients, drawn from politics, business, public service and other sectors, will receive various national and party awards, including the Crested Crane-Grand Commander, National Independence Diamond Jubilee Medal, Nalubale Medal, Masaba Star, Luweero Triangle Medal, Personal Sacrifice Award and the Meritorious Service Award. Among those to be decorated at the fete to be held at Kololo Independence Grounds is businessman Harshad Maganbhai Barot, who will receive the Crested Crane-Grand Officer award, one of the country’s highest civilian honours.
The Distinguished Order of the Crested Crane (Grand Officer) is a prestigious Ugandan national honour conferred by the President for exceptional service in the public or private sectors. Mr Barot, 67, the lone recipient in this category, is the founder of the Tirupati Group. He arrived in Uganda in 1993 with starting capital of about $150 (then approximately Shs179,250) and began his entrepreneurial journey as a door-to-door hawker selling household items. Over the years, he has grown into one of Uganda’s prominent property developers, focusing on affordable commercial and residential infrastructure, particularly for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). In 2006, Mr Barot ventured into providing cost-effective housing and commercial units aimed at supporting SMEs.
His breakthrough came in 2008 with the development of Tirupati Ovino Mall in downtown Kampala, which houses more than 250 shops and helped revitalise the area into a major commercial hub. This was followed by the launch of Tirupati Mazima Mall in 2012, further expanding access to affordable trading space for hundreds of entrepreneurs and boosting local economic activity. Other notable developments under the Tirupati Group include Tirupati Heights in Naguru, Tirupati Kampala Arch Centre, Tirupati Half London, Tirupati Nkumba Village and Tirupati Business Park in Kyebando, which hosts more than 200 SMEs and employs over 1,500 Ugandans.
The Kyebando Business Park, inaugurated by President Museveni in 2015, has since become one of the country’s flagship SME hubs, credited with decongesting Kampala, promoting industrial growth and supporting entrepreneurship. Mr Barot has attributed his business success to the peace, stability and favourable investment climate fostered under the NRM government. Beyond business, he has invested in community development through the LEELA Foundation, which focuses on empowering girls, women and the elderly through skills training, community services and social support initiatives. Through both private enterprise and public-sector partnerships, Mr Barot has participated in government projects aligned with national development goals, with his developments serving as centres of employment, innovation and economic growth.
According to organisers, the NRM @40 awards are intended to recognise individuals whose contributions align with the party’s legacy and its role in Uganda’s political and economic transformation over the past four decades. Speaking ahead of today’s celebrations, the Minister for the Presidency, Ms Milly Babalanda, said the event will be special, featuring a parade by the UPDF, Police, Prisons and the Uganda Wildlife Authority.
‘President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni will on this occasion confer different categories of medals to 33 Ugandans. These are distinguished Ugandans who have sacrificed for their motherland in different ways for it to reach where it is today,’ Ms Babalanda said last Friday during a media briefing at the Uganda Media Centre in Kampala. January 26 marks the day when NRA fighters captured Kampala, ending the rule of the Uganda National Liberation Army (UNLA) junta led by the late Gen Tito Okello Lutwa. This year’s celebrations are themed: ‘Tribute to the patriots who ushered in a fundamental change.’