The Speke Group of Hotels, the hospitality arm of the Ruparelia Group, has reaffirmed its dominance in Uganda’s premium hospitality sector after two of its flagship properties secured top-tier classifications in the latest Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) hotel grading exercise.
In the newly released national rankings, Commonwealth Resort Munyonyo retained its coveted five-star status, placing it among only four hotels in Uganda currently recognised at the highest level of hospitality excellence. Meanwhile, Kabira Country Club earned a four-star rating, reinforcing the group’s breadth across both luxury and upscale business travel segments.
The results position the Speke Group as one of the most visible beneficiaries of UTB’s renewed push to standardise and elevate accommodation facilities in line with East African Community (EAC) hospitality standards.
A Rare Five-Star Club
The latest Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) classification list shows that only four properties attained five-star status in the current cycle: Commonwealth Resort Munyonyo, Kampala Serena Hotel, Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort & Spa, and Sheraton Kampala Hotel.
For Commonwealth Resort Munyonyo, the recognition underscores its long-standing reputation as one of Uganda’s most iconic lakeside destinations and a preferred venue for international summits, high-level government retreats, and major corporate gatherings.
Hotels were assessed on infrastructure, service quality, staffing, safety, dining, and overall guest experience — benchmarks that signal both operational excellence and sustained capital investment.
Munyonyo: Uganda’s Conference Powerhouse
Commonwealth Resort Munyonyo remains the crown jewel of the portfolio. Located on the shores of Lake Victoria in Munyonyo, just outside Kampala, the property is widely recognised as one of East and Central Africa’s leading conference destinations.
The resort features 19 conference halls, five outdoor event spaces, and 477 rooms, complemented by five restaurants and two bars. Its leisure offering includes spas, swimming pools, fitness centres, and a range of water sports facilities.
It is also frequently described as having the largest conference capacity in East and Central Africa, positioning it as a cornerstone of Uganda’s conference tourism ambitions.
Its ability to combine luxury accommodation with expansive meeting infrastructure has made it a strategic venue for continental forums, business conventions, and diplomatic engagements.
Kabira’s Strategic Four-Star Positioning
While Munyonyo anchors the group’s five-star prestige, Kabira Country Club’s four-star recognition demonstrates the Speke Group’s deliberate positioning across distinct market segments.
KPMG honours Ignatius Sehoole’s enduring legacy of integrity, leadership and serviceLocated in Bukoto on Old Kira Road, just minutes from Kampala’s city centre, Kabira blends the calm of a lush “little forest” setting with the convenience demanded by business and diplomatic travellers. It serves corporate guests, long-stay residents, and upscale leisure clients through a strong mix of suite-style accommodation, a vibrant food-and-beverage offering, and an integrated lifestyle experience built around wellness and recreation.
With facilities such as a gym, pool, sauna and steam bath, plus social dining spaces that function as meeting points for Kampala’s professional class, Kabira competes strongly in the mid-to-upper tier of the market. Its four-star grading reflects not only infrastructure and room upgrades, but also the consistency of service delivery that makes it a reliable alternative to Kampala’s top-end five-star properties—particularly for guests seeking comfort, privacy, and extended-stay value within the city.
Speke Group by the Numbers
Behind the five-star and four-star wins lies one of Uganda’s largest and most strategically structured hospitality portfolios. The Speke Group of Hotels operates 13 hospitality facilities spanning resorts, city hotels, and serviced apartments. Across its properties, the group offers more than 900 modern guest rooms, over 45 conference and meeting rooms, multiple award-winning restaurants and bars, as well as health clubs, spas, and extensive leisure and recreation facilities.
This scale gives the group one of the strongest footprints in Uganda’s Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) segment — a high-value tourism category that drives international arrivals, major events, and foreign exchange earnings.
The Speke Group operates under the Ruparelia Group, widely regarded as Uganda’s largest business conglomerate, with investments spanning real estate, non-banking financial services, education, hospitality, agriculture, and media. Within this diversified ecosystem, hospitality remains one of its most visible and strategically important sectors.
The dual recognition in the UTB rankings reinforces the conglomerate’s long-term capital commitment to tourism infrastructure — coming at a time when Uganda’s tourism sector is rebounding strongly, with visitor numbers and tourism revenues reportedly surpassing pre-pandemic levels.
A Vote of Confidence in Uganda’s Tourism Standards
UTB has positioned the new grading system as a tool to improve transparency, guide travellers, and boost investor confidence. By aligning with EAC standards, the board aims to elevate Uganda’s competitiveness in the regional hospitality market.
For Speke Group, the outcome is both validation and strategic leverage. Maintaining five-star status at Munyonyo while securing a four-star rating for Kabira signals depth — not just flagship prestige, but portfolio-wide quality.
As Uganda strengthens its positioning as a regional business and leisure destination, the Speke Group’s numbers tell a clear story: scale, infrastructure, and sustained investment remain central to defining hospitality leadership.
