Mbale: President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has applauded businesswoman Hajjat Sarah Kiyimba and the Brovad Group for investing in the renovation and expansion of Mount Elgon Hotel in Mbale City, signalling government support for private investment in Uganda’s hospitality industry.
Museveni made the remarks on Sunday when he officially opened the renovated hotel, where he was hosted by Kiyimba and her son, Rashid Kiyimba, who is the proprietor of Mount Elgon Hotel & Spa.
The President thanked Ms Kiyimba for her commitment to business and recognised the work that has gone into expanding the family’s hospitality investments.
Museveni’s message came as the historic Mount Elgon Hotel reopened after a major renovation that has preserved the building’s architectural heritage while introducing modern hospitality facilities.
“This morning, I was in Mbale City, where I officially opened the renovated Mount Elgon Hotel. The restoration has preserved this historic landmark’s architectural heritage while introducing modern hospitality facilities,” Museveni said in a statement shared on X.
The President said hospitality is an important part of Uganda’s service sector, particularly because of its ability to create jobs, support businesses and contribute to economic growth.
“The hospitality industry is an important part of the service sector, creating jobs, supporting businesses and contributing to economic growth,” he said.
Museveni’s recognition of the Kiyimba family comes as the Brovad Group continues to expand its presence in Uganda’s hospitality industry.
Hajjat Sarah, who heads Brovad Hotels, has over the years built the family’s hospitality business from its base in Masaka into a wider investment portfolio. The family’s interests now extend to other parts of the country, including Kalangala and Mbale.
In Mbale, the family has invested in the redevelopment of Mount Elgon Hotel, upgrading its accommodation and conference facilities to cater for tourists, business travellers and conference guests.
The renovated property has retained its identity as a historic landmark while adding modern facilities. The hotel lists 65 rooms, including three executive suites, alongside restaurants, bars, a swimming pool and spa facilities.
For the Brovad Group, the reopening represents a major milestone in its expansion into eastern Uganda and comes at a time when Mbale is positioning itself as an important tourism and conference destination.
Sarah Kiyimba celebrated the development on X, congratulating the Brovad Group and thanking God for what she described as a milestone.
“Congratulations to the Brovad Group. “Thank you, Lord, for this milestone,” she posted.
The hotel reopening coincided with Uganda’s national World Tourism Day celebrations in Mbale, held under the theme “Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism.” The Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities said the celebrations were intended to highlight tourism’s contribution to economic development and cultural exchange.
Museveni separately urged Ugandans to take advantage of tourism and other productive sectors to increase household incomes, describing tourism as a major service industry with opportunities across accommodation, transport, food, entertainment, guiding and cultural enterprises.
The President’s remarks at Mount Elgon Hotel therefore placed the Kiyimba family’s investment within a broader push to grow Uganda’s services sector and attract more private investment into tourism and hospitality.
The development also adds modern accommodation and conference capacity to Mbale, strengthening the city’s ability to serve visitors to the Elgon region while giving the Brovad Group a larger foothold in eastern Uganda.