Amina Moghe Hersi
Encyclopedia
Amina Moghe Hersi (b. 1963) is an award-winning Somali
entrepreneur
. She has launched several multi-million dollar projects in Kampala
, Uganda
, such as the luxury mall the Oasis Centre and the Laburnam Courts. She also runs Kingstone Enterprises Limited, one of the largest distributors of cement
and other hardware
materials in Kampala.
, where her mother, Sarah Hersi Ali, was a prominent expatriate
Somali
businesswoman and her uncle, Adam Hersi Ali, served as a Financial Secretary of Treasury
in Kenya's Ministry of Finance
. As a young girl, Amina and her sister regularly joined their family in the cross border trade between Kenya and Uganda. After the death of her father, she and her sister were sent to accounting
school by her mother, where they built on their entrepreneurial skills. The loss of two of her daughters in a car accident in 1998 prompted Amina's family to suggest she move to Uganda.
Amina quickly adapted to her new environment and acted as a convenient link on the ground for her family's commercial trade. She began expanding the family business and entered the real estate
sector. Amina would eventually become one of the wealthiest people in Uganda and come to own the Oasis Centre, a multi-million dollar shopping mall
complex situated in the capital. She also runs one of the largest distributors of cement and other hardware materials in the country. In 2008, Amina received the Woman Investor of the year Award for her large-scale projects that are changing Kampala's skyline.
, to the city centre of Kampala where the incident occurred. Only a week before, an India
n businessman was stalked and murdered in a similar attack. The Rapid Response Unit tasked with eradicating violent crime began their investigation and manhunt for the would be assassins, but none of the suspects were apprehended. They are suspected to be part of a crime syndicate
with ties to Rwanda
and Congo
.
Somali people
Somalis are an ethnic group located in the Horn of Africa, also known as the Somali Peninsula. The overwhelming majority of Somalis speak the Somali language, which is part of the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family...
entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
. She has launched several multi-million dollar projects in Kampala
Kampala
Kampala is the largest city and capital of Uganda. The city is divided into five boroughs that oversee local planning: Kampala Central Division, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division and Lubaga Division. The city is coterminous with Kampala District.-History: of Buganda, had chosen...
, Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
, such as the luxury mall the Oasis Centre and the Laburnam Courts. She also runs Kingstone Enterprises Limited, one of the largest distributors of cement
Cement
In the most general sense of the word, a cement is a binder, a substance that sets and hardens independently, and can bind other materials together. The word "cement" traces to the Romans, who used the term opus caementicium to describe masonry resembling modern concrete that was made from crushed...
and other hardware
Hardware
Hardware is a general term for equipment such as keys, locks, hinges, latches, handles, wire, chains, plumbing supplies, tools, utensils, cutlery and machine parts. Household hardware is typically sold in hardware stores....
materials in Kampala.
Biography
Amina was born in KenyaKenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, where her mother, Sarah Hersi Ali, was a prominent expatriate
Expatriate
An expatriate is a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country and culture other than that of the person's upbringing...
Somali
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
businesswoman and her uncle, Adam Hersi Ali, served as a Financial Secretary of Treasury
Treasury
A treasury is either*A government department related to finance and taxation.*A place where currency or precious items is/are kept....
in Kenya's Ministry of Finance
Finance minister
The finance minister is a cabinet position in a government.A minister of finance has many different jobs in a government. He or she helps form the government budget, stimulate the economy, and control finances...
. As a young girl, Amina and her sister regularly joined their family in the cross border trade between Kenya and Uganda. After the death of her father, she and her sister were sent to accounting
Accountancy
Accountancy is the process of communicating financial information about a business entity to users such as shareholders and managers. The communication is generally in the form of financial statements that show in money terms the economic resources under the control of management; the art lies in...
school by her mother, where they built on their entrepreneurial skills. The loss of two of her daughters in a car accident in 1998 prompted Amina's family to suggest she move to Uganda.
Career
| "It was a pleasant surprise and I'm grateful for the recognition. The award has really inspired me to do more in the coming years," – Amina Moghe Hersi |
Amina quickly adapted to her new environment and acted as a convenient link on the ground for her family's commercial trade. She began expanding the family business and entered the real estate
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
sector. Amina would eventually become one of the wealthiest people in Uganda and come to own the Oasis Centre, a multi-million dollar shopping mall
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
complex situated in the capital. She also runs one of the largest distributors of cement and other hardware materials in the country. In 2008, Amina received the Woman Investor of the year Award for her large-scale projects that are changing Kampala's skyline.
Assassination attempt
In 2008, Amina was the subject of an attack that injured her driver and her escort. The assailants trailed her as she was travelling from her distributing company, Kingston Enterprise in BandaBanda, Uganda
Banda is a hill that partly lies within the city of Kampala, Uganda's capital and partly in neighboring Kira Municipality, Wakiso District, central Uganda...
, to the city centre of Kampala where the incident occurred. Only a week before, an India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n businessman was stalked and murdered in a similar attack. The Rapid Response Unit tasked with eradicating violent crime began their investigation and manhunt for the would be assassins, but none of the suspects were apprehended. They are suspected to be part of a crime syndicate
Organized crime
Organized crime or criminal organizations are transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals for the purpose of engaging in illegal activity, most commonly for monetary profit. Some criminal organizations, such as terrorist organizations, are...
with ties to Rwanda
Rwanda
Rwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
and Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
.