Uganda's MPs concerned about Kenyans holding top tourism positions

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A heated parliamentary session saw Members of Parliament (MPs) raise concerns about Kenyans occupying top positions in Uganda's tourism sector.

The lawmakers highlighted the need for the Uganda Hotel and Tourism Training Institute (UHTTI) to up their tourism and hospitality training to ensure local professionals are well-equipped to compete with their Kenyan counterparts.

Richard Kawere, the principal of UHTTI, appeared before the Parliamentary Committee of Commissions, Statutory Authorities, and State Enterprises (COSASE) on Monday, chaired by Allan Mayanja (Nakaseke Central), to address queries from the June 2023 Auditor General's report.

During the session, several MPs voiced their concerns about the state of Uganda's hospitality industry and the influx of Kenyan professionals holding significant positions. Yusuf Nsibambi (Mawokota County South) noted that as a country we have the capacity to train our youth and despite this, we are still getting managers and chefs from Kenya.

He also highlighted the disparity in service quality between Uganda and neighboring countries like Kenya and Tanzania. “Tourism is a highly demanded service so I would suggest that you go and benchmark with hotels and tourism service providers in the region to see if our curriculum is good enough depending on the demands of the region. When you go to Kenya or Tanzania and see the kind of service, it is not what we see here,” Nsibambi noted.

Kawere acknowledged the concerns and responded by explaining that UHTTI's has ongoing efforts to improve the curriculum and enhance collaboration with regional institutions.

“I have been to Kenya Utalii College (KUC) in March this year, during a meeting with management we both extensively planned how we can work together. All the plans are in process,” Kawere said.

However, Charles Bakkabulindi (Workers MP) asserted that, “You see, I represent workers, and I can tell you, sending top people to these places won’t solve anything. Those workers who are at the grassroots are the ones supposed to be taken to benchmark.”

Kawere however emphasized the importance of a structured learning approach saying, “For us to ensure well-articulated learning, management must first interact with fellow management to establish a structure. Once the two institutions can work together, then exchange programs for both students and staff can take place, and that is what we are working towards.”

He also highlighted that there is a growing demand for hospitality and that the institute is ensuring that they have all the necessary systems and structures to train both the students and staff.

“We are planning to start an in-service program where hotel workers who are not trained can spend time at the institute to receive training.

These strategies are intended to improve the service in the industry that everybody is complaining about. It will not be a one-day journey, but we will take it consistently with progressive, incremental steps,” he explained.

Kawere also pointed out the integration of attitude training within their curriculum and ongoing discussions with industry players to work together to enhance service standards and also to improve attitudes because it has to be a collective effort.

Furthermore, UHTTI has established a department under the principal's office focused on partnerships, aiming to bring in international expertise. 

“In September, we are beginning with two experts from Belgium coming to work with us under the Enabel arrangements,” Kawere announced.

Chairperson Mayanja expressed optimism saying that Uganda has the potential to improve the attitude and also have the youth in the positions occupied by Kenyans.

“If we streamline this entity and guide them to have a better curriculum for them to provide skills to our people, I think we can compete favorably and even out-compete foreigners. We will make recommendations as a committee before parliament and see how this entity can improve,” he noted.