Yusuf Kermalli Alibhai

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Contents

1 NEW VISION

1.1 Achievements

1.2 Family

1.3 Mahmood Mamdani

1.4 Zohran’s Grandfather – Yusuf Kermalli Alibhai (1922-2014)

1.5 FAMILY ALBUM

NEW VISION

January 1, 2014
(reprinted)
"Alibhai was a creative, organized man. What marked him as different from others was a belief in justice and fairness to all" writes Mahmood Mamdani
Yusuf Karmali Alibhai was born on August 30, 1922 in Dar es Salaam. His family had migrated to East Africa from a village near Jamnagar in Kathiawar, India, the same area from which came such prominent historical figures as Gandhi and Jinnah.
In 1945, he married Kulsum Panju, born in Kigoma on the Tanganyika–Congo border. Her family came to East Africa even earlier- towards the close of the 19th Century. The young couple moved from Dar es Salaam to Uganda in 1951 with their two sons, Mahmood and Anis.
Alibhai embraced life fully, in all its dimensions, serving his family and community, and always mindful that each was part of a larger humanity.
I draw three big lessons from his modest life. His first job was as manager of the Cotton Ginnery in Nyendo, near Masaka, in 1951. He lost the job in a year. The owner of the ginnery had asked him to follow what was then a common practice among ginners: to falsify weights when purchasing raw cotton from neighbouring peasants. When Alibhai refused, he was fired.
He then moved to Kampala and found work in Nabugabo. From that modest beginning, Alibhai moved forward, first to become a connoisseur of Persian carpets and then to set up a foam factory on Kampala-Masaka Road.
The characteristic that marked him as different from others was a strong belief in justice and fairness to all, regardless of colour, faith or age. A gender consciousness, which would be my mother’s contribution to his development, was yet to come.
The second big lesson of his life was his refusal to compartmentalise it and so to live it fully. Outside of employment, Alibhai was a poet, writer and community organiser.

Achievements

He became active in the Shi’a Ithna’asheri community and joined two friends to start a Gujarati magazine called Manzil – destiny. The magazine was the first in combining creative writing with current affairs. The Manzil magazine became a popular monthly.
Among his memorable poems was an obituary of a bench that lay in the foyer of the mosque and had given rest and relief to many over decades. One day, the legs gave way.
Alibhai’s obituary became a way of giving a third party view of the community, of different types of people over the years that sat on the bench, the conversations the bench was privy to over those years. The obituary became a popular critique of the powers that controlled the community.
Not surprisingly, the community turned to Alibhai when it came to writing a new constitution to correct current ills. He chaired that effort, meeting over 26 times, going over each provision and coming up with a constitution that earned wide support. In the community, they called him Father of the Constitution.
Simplicity, combined with subtle critique, was the hallmark of Alibhai’s poetry. This poem, Bekasur Bankdo (the blameless bench) began: "Sidhi saral aa waat che, jem chaar ne tran saat che" (this is a simple story, as simple as four plus three is seven). The logic could not but appeal to a community of shopkeepers and shoppers.
Alibhai combined acute observation and gentle representation with action as a community organiser, once again learning from his wife.
As an organiser, he addressed concerns of the poor members of the community. After the expulsion from Uganda in 1972, the couple settled in London for a few years.
He began organising the elderly in the community, first to make representations to the borough local council, so the elderly may receive facilities to make their life meaningful at an advanced age.

Family

Alibhai and Kulsum returned to Uganda after the fall of Amin to join their two sons. Alibhai is survived by a daughter and two sons, a daughter-in-law and a son-in-law, three grandsons, a great-granddaughter and a great-grandson.
The daughter, the youngest, Masuma, is a public health specialist in Dar es Salaam. She remembers him as a loving father. Even if he sometimes forgot his daughter at school in the hustle and bustle of his many concerns, at the end of the day, he was always there for her.
The middle son, Anis, is a businessman in Kampala and Dar es Salaam. He has remained closest to his father’s combination of business and social concerns.

Mahmood Mamdani

As the eldest son, I, Mahmood, currently a professor and executive director of Makerere Institute of Social Research, together with the rest of the family, we learnt much from the creative and organisational legacy of our father.
Yusuf Karmali Alibhai died in the early hours of New Year’s Day, 2014, at the family home in Buziga.

Zohran’s Grandfather – Yusuf Kermalli Alibhai (1922-2014)

Compiled by: Mustafa Pirmohamed (2025)
Yusuf Alibhai was born on 30 Aug 1922 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, where he spent most of his life. Yusufbhai Somji of Orlando fondly recalls playing cricket with him during their younger days in Dar es Salaam.
In 1951, Yusuf Alibhai moved to Nyendo, near Masaka, Uganda, with his children Mahmood (father of Zohran) and Anis. His first job, which he lost within a year, was as Manager of a Cotton Ginnery. The owner instructed him to falsify the weights when purchasing raw cotton from neighboring peasants. When Yusufbhai refused, he was dismissed.
He later settled in Kampala, where he became an expert in Persian carpets and eventually established a foam factory. In Kampala, he and his wife became deeply involved in community service. A strong believer in justice and fairness to all—regardless of color, faith, or age—Yusufbhai joined two friends to start a Gujarati magazine called Manzil (“Destiny”). The magazine was the first to combine creative writing with current affairs, quickly becoming a popular monthly publication.
When the community needed a new constitution to address existing issues, they turned to Yusufbhai to lead the effort. He chaired the committee, which met more than 26 times to review every provision, resulting in a constitution that gained wide support. Within the community, he was affectionately called the Father of the Constitution. Yusufbhai was also a poet, writer, and community organizer. Among his memorable poems was an obituary for a bench that had stood in the mosque foyer for decades, offering rest and relief to many. When the bench finally collapsed, Yusufbhai used it as a metaphorical critique of the powers that governed the community. The poem, titled Bekasur Bankdo (“The Blameless Bench”), began:
“Sidhi saral aa waat che, jem chaar ne tran saat che” (“This is a simple story, as simple as four plus three is seven.”)
Following the expulsion of Asians from Uganda in 1972, Yusufbhai migrated to London, where he became one of the pioneer members instrumental in organizing the senior members of the Khoja Shia Ithna-Asheri Jamaat of London. He was ably supported by his wife, Kulsumbai Nasser Alibhai Panju.
These efforts began with the arrival of many middle-aged Ithna-Asheri men and women resettling in London after the expulsion. Many brought valuable organizational experience, which they devoted to rebuilding the community. The first leadership team for the seniors included both long-term London residents and recent arrivals. Alhaj Mulla Fidahussein Khaki served as the first chairperson, with Yusufbhai, Dr. Amir Lakha, Alhaj Huseinbhai Datoo, and Mohamed Nasser (of Congo) among its leading members. Yusufbhai also took charge of the literary section of the seniors’ group.
A central activity that brought the seniors together was their weekly Wednesday gathering, which soon became a cherished tradition. These gatherings often included picnics to scenic spots outside London, made possible by a minibus donated by the Jamaat. Impressed by their organization and spirit, the local council authorities later provided a second minibus to the group.
One of the most memorable moments in the early years of the seniors’ activities was the visit of Princess Diana on 24th January 1990. Organized under the leadership of the literary section, the visit showcased the group’s creativity and unity.
Once arrangements with the Palace were finalized, Yusufbhai—then a freelance poet—was invited to prepare a special literary presentation for the occasion. He selected two poems: The Flower’s Last Wish and Devotion. Princess Diana showed particular interest in The Flower’s Last Wish and spent time discussing it with Yusufbhai, appreciating his thoughtful expression.
Meanwhile, Kulsumbai led the introduction of the Princess to the ladies’ section of the seniors. Beyond poetry, Yusufbhai was also a prolific lecturer, addressing both the general Jamaat and the elderly members on a wide range of social and moral issues.
After the passing of his beloved wife, Kulsumbai, in December 2003 in New York, Yusufbhai divided his time between Dar es Salaam, Kampala, and New York—often stopping in London to visit his senior friends while in transit.
Yusuf Alibhai passed away in Kampala on 1 Jan 2014 at the age of 91. He had three children: Mahmood, Anis, and Masuma Mamdani. He will be deeply remembered for his dedicated service to the Kampala and London Jamaats.
Marhum Yusuf Alibhai had two brothers who, like their father Kermalli Alibhai, also served as Jamaat Presidents. Allarakhia Alibhai became the 11th President of the Dar es Salaam Jamaat and served from 1963–1964. Allarakhia’s daughter, Marhuma Zehra, was mentioned by Zohran as the aunt who stopped taking the subway after September 11 because she did not feel safe in her hijab. Marhum Allarakhia also served briefly as President of the Husseini Society in Dar es Salaam in 1963. I joined the Husseini Society in 1974 and obtained this information from its files. Marhum Allarakhia passed away in Edmonton in 2009.
The other brother, Mohamed Alibhai, migrated from Dar es Salaam to Toronto, where he served as President of the Toronto Jamaat from 1993 to 1995. He passed away one day after his term ended—having lived long enough to sign the purchase of the Bathurst 9000 property for the Toronto Jamaat.
Some of the family information was obtained from Marhum Mohamed Dhirani, a former President of the Dar es Salaam Jamaat and a repository of community history. At that time, he mentioned that Yusuf Alibhai was living in Dar es Salaam with his son, Anis.

Sources: AF Archives, Khojawiki, Various

FAMILY ALBUM

Laila & Yusuf Mehndi Ceremony.
Laila & Yusuf wedding Ceremony-Laila with 3 Kermalli brothers.
Laila & Yusuf Kermalli.