By Frank Kamuntu
A recent report by Stanbic Uganda, which covers the period between June and December 2022, notes that the over-saturation of Kampala’s office space has created an office market in the districts of Mukono and Wakiso which are part of the Kampala Metropolitan Area where most business activities in the country take place.
The report further explains that demand for office space in Kampala during the period under review rose by 4 percent, mostly among A and B properties, which represent high-quality buildings and high-income tenants.
According to Tourism Marketing Master Plan, by 2019, Uganda had over 3800 hotel establishments with over 250,000 rooms and 300,000 beds with 75 per cent owned by domestic private players, the later are still adding on.
It goes without doubt that Sudhir Ruparelia, chairman of Ruparelia Group is the leading investor when it comes to the provision of office space and hotel rooms, providing employment to thousands, and contributing to Uganda being a top investment destination in East Africa.
We look at Sudhir’s ongoing real estate projects:
Kabira Country Club expansion
The latest development at the Ruparelia Group is that the expansion works on Kabira Country Club in Bukoto, Kampala. They are taking shape day by day and very soon the project will be completed.
The extension facilities include; squash courts, huge indoor and outdoor restaurants, a youth and business centre, conference facilities, pool-side apartments, a six-lane bowling alley and underground parking facilities.
On completion, the hotel will also have a luxurious shopping mall.
Kabira Country Club is within close proximity of the Central Business District, with convenient access to all parts of the city and essential social amenities, like shopping centers, prime residential and international diplomatic neighbourhoods, international schools and the golf course in the heart of the city.
Second phase of Kingdom Kampala
According to Crane Management Services Limited, one of the companies under Ruparelia Group, in charge of properties, Kingdom Kampala is a mixed-use development located in the heart of Kampala. This property is located between three main roads- Nile avenue, Yusuf Lule Road and Dewinton Road in the Central Business District and offers rare exclusivity and outstanding luxury. The future facility will host a luxury hotel with conference facilities and events space -16,500sqm, corporate office space of about 40,000sqm and a shopping center with an external piazza and entertainment facilities worth 30,000sqm plus residential apartments.
However, the construction of 200 luxurious hotel is ongoing at Kingdom Kampala, which is the second phase. “We are going to start building this hotel project at Kingdom Kampala from 2023 and finish in 2026. The hotel will be known as Kingdom Kampala Hotel,” Dr. Sudhir explained at the announcement,” said not long ago before the works for the hotel were launched.
Pearl Business Park
Sudhir Ruparelia is set to turn the former headquarters of Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) along Yusuf Lule Road into a multimillion dollar business park. The Pearl Business Park is an 18-acre mixed use facility that will host a 5-star hotel, a shopping mall and a modern hospital when complete.
Convention Centre at Commonwealth Speke Resort Munyonyo
The government of Uganda and businessman Sudhir Ruparelia’s joint venture blueprint to build a modern Convention Centre at Commonwealth Speke Resort Munyonyo to host the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit.
The Ministry of Finance has finalised the budget and presented a supplementary request to the Parliament of Shs86.4 billion to co-invest in the project.
Accordingly, the modern ultra-Convention Centre will later, also host the South Summit of the G77 and China. Ugandan MPs have appreciated the project.
It should be remembered that Sudhir provided the land and technical supervision of the project, after the government saying it lacked enough money to build its own convention centre.
The five-star Speke Resort and Convention Centre, Entebbe being developed will have a marina, a convention centre and a 3-winged main hotel block, with up to 10 visible floors penthouse suites on the top floor.
Ruparelia Group already has an assortment of high-end hotels, resorts, restaurants and apartments spread across Kampala and Entebbe.
Ruparelia Group under Speke Group of Hotels has facilities like Speke Resort and Conference Centre, Munyonyo Commonwealth Resort, Kabira Country Club, Speke Hotel, Dolphin Suites, Tourist Hotel, Forest Cottages, Speke Resort Bujagali Falls and the recently expanded Speke Apartments.
