The tourism sector has taken the biggest hit due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. As a result, tycoon Sudhir Ruparelia has closed down most of his hotel empire including the flagship and award winning five-star Speke Resort and Commomwealth Resort in Munyonyo.
The hotel doors will remain closed from this Friday March 27, until further notice.
Dolphin Suites in Bugolobi and Forest Cottages in Naguru, part of the Speke Group of Hotels will also close their doors.
“It is really bad. We have decided to close Speke Resort and the Commonwealth Resort. We will reopen once Coronavirus issues are sorted out,” Sudhir was quoted by CEO magazine.
The property magnate who was recently named Honorary Consul of Nepal to Uganda revealed that a small section of Kabira Country Club will remain open.
Workers from the Speke Group Hotels empire are already facing the effects as 1,000 have been laid off and another 2,000 could be laid off in the next few days.
With over 8,000 employees, the Ruparelia Group is one of the biggest employers in the country across their empire that spans hospitality, agriculture, education, real estate and media.
Last week, President Yoweri Museveni banned flights into Uganda and closed all border posts, which was a final blow to the already limping tourism industry.
The trickles will be felt in the economy as the tourism industry is Uganda’s largest forex earner, which fetched $1.6 billion in the last financial year.