The project was announced at the Huye Investment Forum on Wednesday, September 30, where government officials and investors gathered to discuss business opportunities and challenges in the southern district.

The university plans to build the hotel on land it owns in Taba, in the heart of Huye.

Vice Chancellor Prof. Didas Muganga Kayihura said the development would include three-, four- and five-star facilities, giving visitors more choice depending on their needs and budgets.

The project will be carried out through two university-owned companies, UR Holding and UR Engineering. Once construction is complete, the university plans to bring in an experienced hotel operator to run the facility.

Muganga said the idea came partly from a practical problem faced by the university: finding suitable accommodation for people coming to Huye for research, teaching and other academic activities.

“We have researchers and foreigners who come to teach here at the University Teaching Hospital (CHUB) and in other programmes. Sometimes they arrive and cannot find the accommodation they want,” he said.

The university also plans to build apartments for people who need to stay in Huye for longer periods, including foreign researchers and lecturers.

For Huye, the project could add another option to a city that hosts a large university community and attracts visitors for academic, research and medical activities.

“We want a visitor who comes to Huye and wants to stay in a five-star hotel to have that option,” Muganga said.

The university is currently seeking the necessary construction approvals. Muganga said it expects demand for accommodation to continue growing as the number of students, lecturers and other university staff increases.