Centenary Bank moves to auction businessman Joseph Kiyimba’s Club Ambiance, other properties over unpaid billions in debt After three decades shaping Uganda’s entertainment scene, Joseph Kiyimba’s empire faces its toughest test as auctioneers close in.

Centenary Bank has instructed Banu General Agencies, a firm of auctioneers and bailiffs, to sell properties belonging to city businessman Joseph Kiyimba after he allegedly defaulted on loan obligations.

The properties include the famous Club Ambiance in Bakuli, one of Kampala’s most iconic nightspots.

According to a public notice issued by Banu General Agencies, the auction will be carried out under the Mortgage Act No. 8 of 2009 and related regulations unless the debtor, Ambiance Distillers Limited, clears the outstanding principal, interest, and related costs before the date of sale.

Properties up for auction

The notice lists Plot 1481, Block 10 at Nakulabye, Bukesa in Kampala, measuring approximately 0.106 hectares (0.262 acres), and Plot 1395, Block 10 in the same area, measuring about 0.147 hectares (0.363 acres). 

Both plots host developments including Club Ambiance, a landmark entertainment hub that has over the years attracted top local and international performers.

The auctioneers have given a 30-day window from the date of the notice for the sale to proceed. Occupants of the properties have also been directed to vacate within 14 days, with warnings of forceful eviction should they fail to comply.

Joseph Kiyimba is a household name in Uganda’s entertainment and hospitality circles, having been in the industry for over three decades. 

His entrepreneurial journey began in Masaka in the early 1990s, where he ran some of the town’s most popular discotheques. 

With a knack for identifying trends and investing heavily in nightlife, Kiyimba gradually built a brand that later became synonymous with urban entertainment.

Beyond entertainment, he has invested in real estate, hospitality, and beverage production. 

Through Ambiance Distillers Limited, Kiyimba has been active in Uganda’s liquor industry, while Club Ambiance has remained his flagship brand in the entertainment space, hosting thousands of revelers every week before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted operations.

Over the years, Kiyimba’s business empire has been both celebrated and controversial, reflecting the high risks and heavy financing often associated with ventures in the hospitality and entertainment industries.

The impending auction represents one of the most high-profile foreclosures in Kampala’s entertainment sector in recent years. 

Should the sale proceed, it would mark a major fall from grace for one of the city’s most prominent nightlife establishments.