Construction of a state of the art Hotel Africana Moroto by the BMK group of Companies headed by Al-hajji Dr. Bulaimu Muwanga Kibirige has kicked off in Moroto District. The First Lady and Minister for Karamoja Affairs Janet Museveni officiated at the ground breaking and kick start of the first phase of Hotel Africana Moroto in Naitakwae Parish Nadunget Sub.
The First Lady, who braved a heavy rain down pour in Moroto which had not seen a drop of rain for the last 2 months, also unveiled the proposed plan for the hotel whose first phase will have 64 accommodation rooms, with 2 suits, 10 apartments, two restaurants and 4 conference rooms. It will also have a bakery, gym, swimming pool, staff quarters, a supermarket, and offices for rent.
Janet Museveni applauded the BMK family for coming to Karamoja to reinforce the work of Government in the region and to facilitate actual development and real social change. She said that by the BMK family taking the first step and coming to Karamoja to put up a hotel, it shows that they are true nationalists who understand the needs of a nation and take risks to fulfil and bridge the gaps so that real development can begin.
She gave an example of an Indian nationalist who built the first major hotel ‘the Taj Bombay’ after India’s Independence when people from the developed countries were saying they could not go to India because it lacked modern facilities. “This hotel is still the most outstanding one today in India, and this same man started Air India so that tourists would not have any excuse whatsoever of not visiting India. This is now their national carrier. It still flies to this day”, she added.
She challenged Al-hajji Bulaimu Kibirige to consider investing into airline business since Air Uganda does not exist. “We need Ugandans of Ugandan origin who are true nationalists willing to go into areas where others dare not go and fulfil those needs of our country”, she said.
Janet Museveni welcomed other Ugandans in social services to come to Karamoja and take advantage of the prevailing peace and various investment opportunities. She said, “those who have the ‘right glasses which show you what is happening in places like Karamoja’, as President Museveni says, they can show them now that the place to go to start real business is Karamoja”, she argued. She said banking and transport services are still desperately needed in Karamoja to address the challenge of people’s savings being unsafe in their homesteads and that of Karimojong still walking long distances due to lack of transport. She assured the investors of Government’s commitment to ensure security in the region and safety for them and their equipment while in Karamoja.
On behalf of the President and the Government, she thanked Al-hajji Bulaimu Kibirige for the hotel project in Karamoja. Al-hajji Bulaimu Muwanga Kibirige said the Hotel project’s first phase estimated to cost about 8 million US Dollars will be complete in 24 months. He requested Government to consider granting Hotel Africana Moroto a duty free waive on imported construction materials.
He said Hotel Africana Moroto will help address the current accommodation, offices to let, conferencing and banking gaps in Moroto. He said they will also start express transport services from Hotel Africana Kampala to Moroto and train local people in hotel operation skills.