Uganda’s Vice President Major (Retired) Jessica Alupo on Friday July 10th said she was impressed by Pearl of Africa Hotel, Kampala’s premier 5-star luxury hotel on Nakasero Hill, which acts as an anchor of the luxury tourism sector by attracting high-net-worth travelers who drive significant local economic revenue to Uganda.
Alupo was presiding over the inaugural graduation ceremony for Apex International University where she also officiated at the installation of its first Chancellor.
The Vice President was received at the hotel, which is establishing regional hospitality benchmarks, creating localized premium employment, and boosting a destination’s international appeal by offering unparalleled comfort and personalized services.
As Uganda is recognized globally as a top-tier ecotourism and adventure destination, consistently securing highly competitive spots on major international travel indices, Pearl Africa Hotel remains a great anchor to promoting sustainable Tourism through promoting urban tourism by creating integrated unforgettable experiences.
Muhammad Hamid also known as “AYA,” a Ugandan entrepreneur and chairman of the AYA Group also attended the ceremony which saw the installation of Hon. Wilson Twinomugisha Kajwenge as the university’s first Chancellor, a role assigned to him for an initial four year term.
Located at Plot No. 10, Lugard Road, Nakasero Hill, in Uganda’s Capital Kampala, Pearl of Africa Hotel offers world-class dining, expansive sports and wellness facilities, and state-of-the-art event spaces.
Their Rooms include complimentary high-speed WiFi, premium bedding, 24/7 room service, and personal butler service in select suites with a fine-dining restaurant offering sweeping city views among other amenities.
Their ‘Pearl Café’ is an upscale spot for cocktails and light bites, the Wellness & Recreation includes both indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a basketball court, tennis and squash courts, a fully equipped gym, steam/sauna, and a 7-room luxury spa.
The hotel also provides Events & Conferences with premium spaces for weddings, banquets, and corporate meetings.
Aya Group of Companies is a prominent, multi-million dollar conglomerate operating in Uganda and across East Africa. The group has been a major player in Uganda’s economy since the early 1990s, with a diversified portfolio spanning hospitality, food manufacturing, mining, and transport.
Through the Aya Foundation Limited, their charitable wing of the conglomerate, the group finances specialized healthcare and medical procedures for vulnerable children.
GRADUATION MESSAGE
Reading a message on behalf of President Museveni, Vice President Alupo traced the growth of Uganda’s higher education sector since 1986, when the country had only one public university, Makerere, enrolling roughly 5,000 students.
She said the sector has since expanded to dozens of degree awarding institutions, both public and private, with enrollment now running into hundreds of thousands, a transformation she attributed to the government’s decision to liberalise the education sector and allow private investment.
Apex International University’s story traces back to 2001, when its founders first moved to establish a private institution of higher learning in Uganda, a journey that culminated in Thursday’s twin inauguration and graduation ceremony.
The university now joins a growing list of private institutions that have emerged since the government’s liberalization of the education sector in the late 1980s, a policy shift that expanded Uganda’s higher education landscape from a single public university enrolling about 5,000 students to dozens of institutions serving hundreds of thousands today.
With its inauguration complete and its first cohort of graduates now in the job market, the university’s leadership says its next task is securing a full operating charter, a process the Vice President indicated the government is ready to help expedite through a planned visit to the main campus.
