Minister of Tourism Tom Butime (Right) and Dicksons Kateshumbwa (Sheema Municipality MP) while appearing before the Trade and Tourism Committee
Sheema Municipality MP, Dicksons Kateshumbwa aka Katesh has threatened to wage a legal battle against Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) over a fire that gutted his Shs7Bn lodge in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
The former Uganda Revenue Commissioner turned politician issued the warning while appearing before Parliament’s Trade and Tourism Committee, where he lashed out at Government for accusing investors in the tourism industry for being negligent, yet the park owners have been forced to connect electricity and internet facilities without help from government.
“We have borrowed, we have mortgaged properties. It isn’t personal, I need to restore my lodge, we want to work together as partners not as adversaries to make sure we promote tourism in this country. All lodges in the park are worried, no one is safe. We are going into a protracted struggle (with UWA) because the option isn’t there but I wish the committee helps us resolve this matter,” Kateshumbwa said.
The lawmaker furnished the Committee with a Police report about the fire that gutted 18 properties worth Shs7bn, including 18 cottages at Park View Safari Lodge on 23rd July 2021 located in Queen Elizabeth National Park in Rubirizi district.
An emotional Kateshumbwa, who was struggling to hold back his tears during his submission said it took him 10years to grow his investment, but the fire destroyed it within 1hour, yet he had just sunk in Shs1Bn ahead of the reopening of tourism sector, following the lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“On 23rd, I was heading to the lodge and I was going specifically to finalize the assessment of upgrade that had been taking place, including the new restaurant I had built. And to be open, I had just borrowed Shs1bn on my Parliament salary and sunk it into a lodge,” he said, adding: “The fire started when five guests had just checked out, so it could have been a very disaster for this country if the tourists had stayed for just one hour.”
