The First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for East African Affairs, Rebecca Kadaga, has okayed the planned demolition of the old Crested Crane Hotel in Jinja city to pave way for a sh20b expansion of the Uganda Hotel Tourism Training Institute (UHTTI).

She communicated her stand during a meeting with a team from the tourism ministry led by tourism minister Col (Rtd) Tom Butime at her office at the Ministry of East African Community Affairs on Wednesday.

Kadaga urged the ministry officials to ensure that contractors do quality work.

There had been disagreement among Busoga leaders over the demolition of Crested Crane Hotel that was built in 1954.

Former Namutumba Woman MP Florence Mutyabule wanted the old structure preserved for historical purposes.

Kadaga, who also doubles as the Kamuli district Woman MP, said as leaders of Busoga, they cannot stand in the way of the multi-billion project. She urged them to ensure that there is value for money.

“We are not planning to disrupt the project. We just want to ensure that the region is not short-changed with new infrastructure that doesn’t measure to the required standards,” she said.

The minister was in the company of lands and housing state minister, Persis Namuganza, who wondered why the new hotel was made a three-star and not a five-star despite its prime location in the heart of Jinja city.

“Why are we having a three-star and not five-star hotel? Remember we are looking at optimally using land,” said Namuganza.

The tourism ministry permanent secretary, Doreen Katusiime, however, explained that Crested Crane Hotel is an application hotel and world over, application hotels are three-star.

The institute secured a World Bank loan for infrastructure development, including the construction of a sh24 billion hotel to replace the old hotel and an additional sh20 billion to construct a modern tourism school.

The mid-week meeting also resolved to have the government take over the ownership of the Rippon Hotel that housed the Queen of England when she came to Uganda to commission the Owen Falls Dam in 1954.

The meeting was also attended by tourism state minister Martin Mugarra, UHTTI principal Richard Kawere and his deputy Moses Kaneene and tourism ministry director Basil Ajer, among other officials from the tourism ministry.