Notice the Fez worn by his Highness. In those days the best Fez caps or Tarboosh were made by two Ismaili business people in Mombasa. I am talking about the early 1940’s to the mid-1950’s. Both shops were on the road along Majestic Cinema. Many of us wore the Fez and some schools had the Fez as part of the uniform! Girls and ladies wore a beaded version with “zari”.
The photo shows on extreme right in white, Sir Karimjee Karimbhai who was later speaker of the house in Tanzania under Julius Nyerere, and next to him, Sir Mbarak Ali Hinawy, who was the Liwali (governor) for the Kenya Coast.
I don’t know the other two, but can only guess that next to Sir Mbarak could be Mr. Musa Jetha.
-Mohamed Ismail
Mohamed Ismail is originally from Kenya, Mombasa, in that order, as the family started in Mombasa. He is a member of the Baluch community, big-time big-game hunters, himself amongst them, apart from being an ecologist by education. Books to his name. He can tell the weight of a tusk from just its photograph. He’s been helping me with stories of their community in East Africa for my book below, as leaders of pre-British expeditions to the interior, soldiers, trusted chiefs for Sultans, and businessmen. Idi Amin just loved them even after the expulsion.
-Vali Jamal
http://www.vivaeastafrica.blogspot.com/
Photo collection: Salim Nasher
Ismailimail 