AYA confident
Aug 16, 2006
The Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) executive director, Dr. Margaret Kigozi, yesterday toured Nakasero Hill where AYA is constructing a US$90m Hilton Hotel.
By Geresom Musamali
The Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) executive director, Dr. Margaret Kigozi, yesterday toured Nakasero Hill where AYA is constructing a US$90m Hilton Hotel.
The hotel, located where the Uganda Broadcasting Corporation and several government offices were razed down, is expected to be ready for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in November 2007.
Kigozi found a front-loader bulldozer filling three trucks with rubble at the building site. Workers were pulling down the last structures of the block which used to house the information and ethics ministries.
The side block, formerly used by presidential aides, has been converted into a construction office.
“One of our duties is to monitor the progress made by people we have given investment licenses,†Kigozi explained.
“We are pleased to find AYA working according to schedule and we believe they will beat the agreed deadlines,†she added.
Last week, the media reported that work at the site had stalled. But Kigozi said she was satisfied with AYA’s progress.
AYA managing director Mohammed Hamid said although his project had been hurt by negative publicity, he had enough resources to complete the hotel.
“We have an agreement with the Government, which has a clause that in five years’ time, we should have a five-star hotel in place or we forfeit the land,†said Hamid.
“We shall, however, finalise the project by October 2007 because we expect CHOGM to be a good marketing opportunity for us,†he added.
The Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) executive director, Dr. Margaret Kigozi, yesterday toured Nakasero Hill where AYA is constructing a US$90m Hilton Hotel.
The hotel, located where the Uganda Broadcasting Corporation and several government offices were razed down, is expected to be ready for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in November 2007.
Kigozi found a front-loader bulldozer filling three trucks with rubble at the building site. Workers were pulling down the last structures of the block which used to house the information and ethics ministries.
The side block, formerly used by presidential aides, has been converted into a construction office.
“One of our duties is to monitor the progress made by people we have given investment licenses,†Kigozi explained.
“We are pleased to find AYA working according to schedule and we believe they will beat the agreed deadlines,†she added.
Last week, the media reported that work at the site had stalled. But Kigozi said she was satisfied with AYA’s progress.
AYA managing director Mohammed Hamid said although his project had been hurt by negative publicity, he had enough resources to complete the hotel.
“We have an agreement with the Government, which has a clause that in five years’ time, we should have a five-star hotel in place or we forfeit the land,†said Hamid.
“We shall, however, finalise the project by October 2007 because we expect CHOGM to be a good marketing opportunity for us,†he added.