Amin’s hideaway remains idle 37 years later

Efforts to redevelop Pakuba Safari Lodge, former president Idi Amin’s favourite hideaway, have taken ages with the latest concessionaire blaming government for unfavourable investment terms.

Once the pride of Murchison Falls National Park, the lavish lodge caught the eye of Amin, who turned it into a “state lodge” where he spent more time than he did in his official residence in Kampala. The lodge accommodated Amin’s inner circle as well as international guests.

Located in north western Uganda on the eastern bank of the Albert Nile, the lodge boasts of a variety of wildlife, including elephants, buffalos, lions, leopards, hippopotamus, giraffes and crocodile.

Antelopes, Uganda kob, hartebeests and oribia are also seen walking to and from the river for water. At least 170 species of birds have been identified at Pakuba Safari Lodge. Nile crocodiles are one of the predators that Amin loved to hunt for sport, including lions and other big game.

During his rule, the elephant population in the park collapsed from 9,000 to the one scared herd of 160 elephants. But the numbers have recovered to more than 10,000 under the strict management of the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA).

According to the Buliisa County Member of Parliament, Mr Stephen Mukitale, Pakuba Safari Lodge is owned by Ms Connie Tumusiime who won the concession to redevelop the tourist site more than eight years ago.

“This investor is not serious and the bid should be given to someone else. You cannot win a tender and spend eight years without construction. It [the lodge] is now a hideout for lions and leopards. As Members of Parliament, we shall engage relevant authorities and see what we can do,” he says.

Pakuba lodge, then run by government under the Uganda hotels, was designed by Danish engineers and constructed between 1969-1970 by the Danish Turkey Hotels during the Milton Obote regime.

While on the Tulambule campaign, a guided tour by UWA aimed at boosting tourism, legislators were showed structures said to be servants’ quarters. The team, however, was not given time to inspect the facility.

Asked for a way forward, UWA executive director Andrew Seguya says they will engage the firm’s management.

When contacted, Ms Tumusiime describes the blame as strategic blackmail against her company that is giving a big challenge to traditional lodges in the park.

“Those who talk ill about us do not know the inside story of Pakuba. When we were bidding for that place, we had market intelligence that our immediate competitor had bided $30 per room occupied every night payable to UWA. So we had to increase our offer to $32.5 to win the concession. Secondly, after analysing the business with fluctuating dollar, we decided to first renovate and upgraded the servants’ quarters which was a cheaper option. We have 46 suite guest rooms with private bathrooms, of which 27 are twin sharing, 12 double rooms and seven inter-connecting rooms suitable for families,” she said.

She adds, “Those against us are afraid of our professional service... For instance, our Ugandan guides have been specially trained in African wildlife, birds, plants and trees, geological formations and hospitality. We have safari game drives that are three hours long and can be enjoyed at any time during your holiday in the morning or afternoon unlike others who ride tours for only one hour.”

Ms Tumusiime sys they are the only local investors in the park, but they are being sidelined.

Pakuba Safari Lodge operations director Civy Tumusiime revealed to Sunday Monitor that after engaging the UWA board, they agreed to reduce the $32.5 bid per room to $5 to match their competitors like Mweeya Safari Lodge.

“We are now embarking on a $10 million (Shs35 billion) investment project at the Old Pakuba Safari Lodge any time from now,” she explained.

Tourist’s experience
Mr Smith James, a tourist from the United Kingdom, when asked for his experience at the lodge, described it as an ideal place.

“I left my stress behind in Europe and I am relaxing here. When I go back I will recommend my friends to come and enjoy true peace and tranquillity,” he says.
Ms Tumusiime also raises security concern at Pakuba as another challenge.

“We used to have rangers at our lodge but these were removed by UWA, leaving our lives in danger. We now opted for tourism police as guards,” she said.

She notes that due to lack of security, last year alone they lost 13 mattresses and 30 conference chairs to thieves. She also sights issues of lack of electricity in the park, poor roads and the heat due to high deforestation as other challenges.
Ms Tumusiime observes that promotion of foreign owned lodges by UWA was not in good faith. “Can you imagine the UWA board usually meets at Para but have never met here? Why can’t they revolve so that all lodges in the park can benefit? We need fair competition,” she says.

Murchison Falls lodges
Sunday Monitor visited most of the lodges in the park, including Chobe Safari Lodge, Para Safari Lodge, Sambiya River Lodges, Bakers Lodge, Nile Safari Lodge and Pakuba to ascertain what is on ground.

What is unique about all these lodges is the pricing, food on the menu, accessibility and view of the animals.

Pakuba manager Emmanuel Mujuni says they have a special package for drivers who bring in tourists. “We offer all drivers free accommodation and charge them only $8 (Shs30,000) for breakfast, lunch and dinner,” he says.

Tulambule campaign
During the Tulambule campaign launch at Murchison Falls National Park recently, UWA boss Andrew Seguya revealed that more openings are coming for local entrepreneurs to invest in the park.

Seguya said UWA had advertised for bids to construct a 40-bed hotel at Karuma, where Madhvani runs Chobe Safari Lodge, a 30-bed hotel at Gabongo forest and another at Butiaba escarpment to reduce the cost of accommodation in the park.

Once these are complete, governments’ efforts to boost domestic tourism may get a nod since it will have dealt with the high costs of accommodation in the park which is one of the reasons as to why many Ugandans find it difficult to tour the country.

Asked on the investor’s concerns and government’s intervention, State minister for Tourism Godfrey Kiwanda down played the matter.

“All these complaints you are hearing are small issues that we shall resolve when we have a joint stakeholders meeting soon. We do receive more than one million tourists but we want these numbers to grow to over four million,” he says.

Reaction from stakeholders

“This investor is not serious and the bid should be given to someone else. You cannot win a tender and spend eight years without construction. It [the lodge] is now a hideout for lions and leopards,”
Mr Stephen Mukitale, Buliisa County MP

“After analysing the business with fluctuating dollar, we decided to first renovate and upgraded the servants’ quarters which was a cheaper option. We have 46 suite guest rooms with private bathrooms,”
Ms Connie Tumusiime, investor

“All these complaints you are hearing are small issues that we shall resolve when we have a joint stakeholders meeting soon. We do receive more than one million tourists but we want these numbers to grow to over four million,”

Mr Godfrey Kiwanda, State minister for Tourism