Marriott Expands in Uganda as Tourism Gains Momentum

By Mintesinot Nigussie  |  August 29, 2026

Marriott International has expanded its presence in Uganda with the opening of a dual-branded hotel and serviced-apartment complex in Kampala, adding more than 250 accommodation units to a tourism market that generated 1.62 billion US dollars in earnings in 2025.

The Kampala Marriott Hotel and Marriott Executive Apartments Kampala were inaugurated by President Yoweri Museveni in Nsambya, Kampala, marking the debut of both brands in Uganda. The development takes Marriott’s presence in the country to seven properties across five brands.

The project was developed by Capital Shoppers Ltd, whose chairman, Ponsiano Ngabirano, has expanded the company from a small grocery business in Nakasero into supermarkets and now hospitality.

The two properties comprise 181 hotel guestrooms and suites and 96 fully serviced apartments. They also feature six restaurants and bars, wellness and business facilities, and 1,293 square metres of meeting and events space, including the Kampala Grand Ballroom, which can accommodate up to 985 guests.

The investment has created more than 350 direct jobs, with about 95 percent of employees being Ugandan nationals. More than 120 women are employed across the two properties, while about 90 percent of procurement is sourced locally, according to the developers.

The expansion comes as tourism becomes an increasingly significant contributor to Uganda’s economy. Tourism earnings reached 5.8 trillion Ugandan shillings, equivalent to 1.62 billion US dollars, in 2025, contributing an estimated 5.9 percent of GDP and supporting more than 876,000 jobs, according to the Uganda Tourism Statistical Abstract 2025.

Johan Cronjé, Marriott’s regional vice-president for sub-Saharan Africa, said Uganda's tourism sector was benefiting from growing visitor demand, investment and infrastructure development.

The new properties will add internationally branded accommodation and conference capacity to Kampala, targeting tourists as well as business travellers and international meetings.

Museveni used the inauguration to argue that Uganda needs to shift investment away from importing finished products towards domestic production, citing Ngabirano’s business trajectory as an example.

“Many of the African economies have not grown because of the mistakes of the leaders. They fail to distinguish between development and wealth,” Museveni said.

He identified commercial agriculture, services, ICT and manufacturing as key sectors for wealth creation, arguing that investment should generate domestic production, employment and tax revenues.

The president also welcomed investment by the National Social Security Fund in the hotel, saying domestic investment of workers’ savings would contribute more to Uganda’s economy than placing the funds in foreign bonds.

NSSF holds a 30 percent stake in the development, according to Ngabirano.

Ngabirano said the properties currently employ about 400 people and could employ more than 1,000 by the end of the year. He also called for a review of taxes affecting hotels and greater investment in hospitality training.

Finance minister Henry Musasizi said qualifying new investments benefit from a 10-year tax holiday, with corporate income tax applying once an investor becomes profitable. He also said the government needed to expand specialised training opportunities for hospitality workers.

Source: FSX Business News