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UGANDA - The Serena Group of Hotels is set to take over management of Ranch on the Lake Country Club in Uganda under a franchise arrangement between Tourism Promotion Services (TPS) and Pearl Development Group Limited (PDGL). This will see Serena investing more funds in the tourism industry in Uganda
The country club, which will be renamed and branded as a Serena facility is currently undergoing transformation into “the region’s premier business and golfing resort; The Citadel,” according to information on the company’s website.
No official announcement or communication has been made by TPS or PDGL, the current owners of the country club but an inside source confirmed the development to East African Business Week.
“Serena is already softly running the place and we are always consulting them on a lot of things,” the source said. “Actually we no longer look at each other as competitors but rather we complement each other.”
Satyen Singh, the deputy general manager PDGL denied knowledge of a franchise arrangement between PDGL and Serena Group saying an official announcement would be made at the right time.
In Uganda, TPS, the tourism and hospitality arm of the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (Akfed) owns the Kampala Serena Hotel but it is the group’s ambitions to extend its reach beyond Kampala and this arrangement is the first step in that direction.
During the opening of the Kampala Serena, His Highness The Aga Khan said it was the intention of Akfed to follow up the Kampala facility with a circuit of new resorts and safari lodges in Uganda’s countryside to complete what he called an East African travel circuit.
PDGL, which also owns civil engineering firm Cementers, has invested some US$10 million to redevelop the country club, which is located off the Entebbe-Kampala road on the shores of Lake Victoria.
Cementers, who carried out the civil works for the Kampala Serena, are undertaking the works at the country club while Symbion International; the architects who designed the Kampala Serena are providing architectural and design services.
Ranch on the Lake is located on a 350-acre serene private ranch in the undulating hills of Lweza off the Entebbe-Kampala highway. It’s on the shores of Lake Victoria and has a remarkably alluring view of Lake Victoria.
The serene country club is only a 20-minute drive from either Kampala City or Entebbe Airport.
The new additions to the facility include an 18-hole golf course (Lake Victoria Golf and Sailing Club) that has been designed by Golfplan, Fream, Dale and Raincey, US-based golf course architects.
It will also include a Marina for water sports and other water activities like fishing, a new Olympic-size swimming pool, new restaurants as well as new conference rooms.
When complete, the resort will have accommodation space of 120 deluxe suites.
Uganda has a vast coastline on Lake Victoria but almost all not developed to tap new opportunities. When this is done will increase on Uganda packages towards increased safaris to Uganda. Uganda has got the very conducive climate hot and wet throughout the year . There are chances that when these beaches are developed more tourist population will be flocking the country to enjoy such facilities. Lake Victoria has free bilharzia waters and swimming in these fresh water is real enormous.
By Fred Bukenya