- During the final service, it was revealed that the President had allocated Patel 40,000 acres at the Galana Kulalu Irrigation Project in Kilifi.'
- Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, accompanied by politicians Eugene Wamalwa and Jeremiah Kioni, expressed the deep sense of loss brought by Hasu’s passing.
Image: JOHN CHESOLI
Mombasa billionaire Hasmukh Patel was eulogised on Sunday as a towering figure and a true embodiment of humanity.
He was celebrated for his philanthropic spirit and generous contributions.
Patel, also known as 'Hasu,' died on Thursday after a short illness.
In his final six-hour journey before cremation, he was carried in a special vehicle in a sitting posture and driven in a procession from Pandya Memorial Hospital in Mombasa town to the New Cutchi Leva Patel Samaj Hall along Links Road.
His body was taken to five Hindu temples in Mombasa town and Nyali constituency.
Family and relatives paid their final respects to the body at his home.
Hundreds of mourners lined up along the streets to pay their last respects.
Patel’s impact was felt in Kenya and extended to neighbouring Uganda through his charitable initiatives.
President William Ruto, Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni and ODM Leader Raila Odinga sent special condolence messages.
In his message, delivered by Mining and Blue Economy Cabinet Secretary Hassan Joho, President Ruto expressed deep sadness at Patel’s passing.
“He was a visionary leader, an entrepreneur, a respected philanthropist, and a towering figure whose legacy still stands today. He was renowned not only for his impressive speeches and arguments but also for his unwavering commitment to community service. His tireless efforts to uplift the needy and vulnerable were impactful and far-reaching,” Ruto said.
He said the businessman focused his philanthropy on people, particularly in education, healthcare and social services.
During the final service, it was revealed that the President had allocated Patel 40,000 acres at the Galana Kulalu Irrigation Project in Kilifi.
Ruto said Patel held a grand vision for a highly productive, competitive and self-sufficient Kenya.
He was passionate about finding sustainable solutions to the country’s food security challenges, he said.
“Convinced that mechanisation and irrigation could turn Kenya from a food-deficit nation to one of surplus production, Hasmukh devoted considerable resources to supporting the Galana Kulalu Irrigation Project,”Ruto said.
He said the initiative aims to transform the country's arid lands into fertile farmlands, enhancing food self-sufficiency, accelerating agro-industrial transformation and creating millions of employment opportunities.
“Through his company, we engaged stakeholders to explore the possibility of providing construction materials to develop irrigation infrastructure and collaborated on farming activities to actualise the project's potential as a catalyst for sustainable national transformation,” the President said.
Kilifi North MP Owen Baya, a close friend of Patel, said he is the one who introduced the businessman to Ruto.
“One of his goals was to reduce the cost of food. He believed that the government had not done very well in Galana Kulalu. He wanted to see if he could transform the country through his work at the irrigation scheme. So, he requested me to take him to the President, which I did,” he said.
Baya said they discussed Patel’s desire to reduce the cost of edible oil and food.
“The President allocated him 40,000 acres in Galana Kulalu and he began his work. Today, as I speak here, Hasu invested around Sh3 billion in Galana Kulalu to show the world that a Kenyan can achieve what others in different countries have done,” the MP said.
Baya said Patel brought the best technology and the greatest agronomists to Kenya.
“Today, he has completed 12 dams, larger than any found in this country, in Galana Kulalu. Just one person, with a vision that in the next two or three years, Kenya will no longer need to import edible oils. This country will be self-sufficient in terms of edible oil,” he said.
Baya asked Joho to ensure Patel’s family receives the lease title.
“I spoke to him the night before he died and he told me to make sure I secure the lease for him because he did all this work without it, just trusting that the government will not let him down,” he said.
Joho said he will ensure the family secures the lease to continue with the project.
He revealed his collaboration with Patel in transforming the 50-year-old Kibarani dumpsite into a recreational park.
“People talk about how beautiful Kibarani has become today, but they never mention the details. Kibarani, for instance, was a 50-year-old dumpsite. Hasu spent close to a billion shillings transforming the dumpsite,” Joho said.
Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, accompanied by politicians Eugene Wamalwa and Jeremiah Kioni, expressed their condolences.
“Not just to his family and the Hindu community, but indeed the world. Hasu was spending in excess of Sh300 million every month. We never saw Hasu calling for a harambee or going around announcing his contributions. I think there is a lesson for politicians to learn from Hasu: that you don’t have to go chest-thumping,” Kalonzo said.
Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir announced plans to rename a road in Mombasa after Hasmukh Patel and a school for children with special needs to honour the billionaire.
“I will be making a proposal to name a road in Mombasa after the late Hasu and also to name one of our ECD centres that houses children living with disabilities in his honour so that the name of Hasu can live on,” said Nassir.
Other leaders present included MPs Badi Twalib (Jomvu), Rashid Bedzimba (Kisauni), Mombasa Senator Mohammed Faki and UDA acting secretary general Hassan Omar.
After the service in Nyali, Patel’s body was taken back to the Hindu crematorium in Mombasa town centre for cremation.