Shs2b still needed for floating hotel

An artistic impression of the floating restaurant still under construction at UWEC in Entebbe.

KAMPALA. Two years after the launching the construction of the floating restaurant, which was meant to have the longest beach on Lake Victoria in Uganda and the first floating restaurant in East Africa, Shs2b is still needed to complete it, according to Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (Uwec).
During the official opening of the restaurant in 2013 Joel Aita, an engineer from Joadah Consults, the company that made the plan of the facility said the restaurant might be completed within two years but according to Uwec’s executive director James Musinguzi, the restaurant is still far from completion.
“The project is to be funded under the ministries of Finance and Works by the government of Uganda and we are hoping to be part of the Budget in the next financial year. Although we had laid the foundation, the challenge we have is funding,” Mr Musinguzi explained.
He added that although the money is not readily available, the area where the restaurant is situated had other aspects such as the white sand 350-meter-beach, resting huts and the music system. He said these are already completed and are being used to generate money to help finance the completion of the floating restaurant.
At the time of the officiating ceremony, then Tourism minister Maria Mutagamba said the development will be completed in three phases with the first phase costing Shs3 billion.
So far, shs1b has been spent on the existing structure of the restaurant and the other aspects such as the beach.
However, Mr Alex Droma, the education officer at Uwec said the idea was to have a floating restaurant but because the lake is receding, the restaurant may end up being on shore instead.
“Over the past four years, the lake has receded more than five meters because of a number of reasons including environment. It may continue receding with time,” Mr Droma said.
He added that if the lake actually does continue receding, the restaurant, which is only a few meters into the lake will no longer be a floating restaurant as hoped for.
The restaurant will be divided into four floors, with the first one housing the main restaurant, the second housing 16 rooms while the top floors will be multi-purpose.
The restaurant will have a docking area for boats going to various destinations on Lake Victoria.