Walji Bhanji was born in Kutch India in 1869. He had two brothers Khaku Bhanji and Karim Bhanji. After Khaku’s death, Walji Bhanji married his brother’s wife Kaiserbai and raised his brother’s children Suleman Khaku and Bachibai. Kaiserbai bore him two sons Alibhai and Valimohammed. In 1898 Walji Bhanji left Kutch and arrived with his family in Mombasa. Kenya. He stayed with Ladha Kanji and opened a small shop selling matches and tobacco. In 1899 he decided to go to Nairobi. He travelled by train to Voi and then by donkey to Nairobi. Very quickly Walji Bhanji was able to establish a successful import-export firm. The firm grew to almost sixty branches across East Africa. There was even a branch in Nakuru opened in 1902 with his friend Ibrahim Karimbux
The firm used to import piece goods and salt from India, sugar from Mauritius and would export raw cotton and from 1909 onwards ivory to India and the Far East. Walji Bhanji’s sons Valimohammed and Alibhai and his step son Suleman were made partners in the firm. It was Suleman who extended the firm’s operation into the interior. Cotton ginneries were set up in Mbale and Butiaba. Walji Bhanji himself stayed mostly in Mombasa, Valimohammed worked in Zanzibar and Alibhai was in charge of buying ivory.
WALJI BHANJI Shop in British East Africa Uganda
Walji Bhanji with Ibrahim Karimbux
(Courtesy of Shella Karimbux)
There was a time when Walji Bhanji was so famous amongst the Africans that they were singing songs about him as they pushed the handcarts bringing cotton and ivory to the depots. At first the family lived in Walji Bhanji’s buildings on Old Kilindini Rd . In 1928 Walji Bhanji acquired the big house (Leven House) near the stairs by the Old Port and the whole family lived there. The ground floor was the head office with all the accountants and everybody. On the top floor Suleman lived with his family.
Leven House which once belonged to Walji Bhanji and where he died.
Eventually Walji Bhanji’s luck ran out. The Great Depression hit Africa – and Walji Bhanji lost a lot of currency, German marks. Smith Mackenzie advanced him a large sum to purchase the cotton crop in India. He was informed that Locusts devoured the entire crop. (another version says they were lost in a fire) In 1932 he was declared bankrupt. All Walji Bhanji’s properties were put up for sale. Datoo came to auction them. It was eventually acquired by the Pujara family. For three days after the auction Walji Bhanji never left the house, his big house by the Old Port. On the third day, there in that house he died age 63 in 1932.
(Sources: Cynthia Salvadori’s “ We Came in Dhows”
(Sources: Khoja Shia Ithna-Asheries in Lamu & Mombasa, 1870-1930 )
(Sources: Shella , great grand daughter of Ibrahim Karimbux who wrote a book about Karimbux - Nakuru "The house that stood still")
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Memorial Pages recently added (Please assist with pictures to make for rest of family)
ALHAJ ABDUL RASUL ALIBHAI WALJI
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LAST UPDATED 30th October 2016