Police bosses undergo hospitality standards enforcement training

KAMPALA - Police bosses from across the country have undergone a one-day training in the enforcement of quality standards by accommodation and hospitality facilities across the country.

The training on Saturday (October 26, 2024) by the Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) took place at the Police headquarters in Naguru, Kampala city. 

UTB deputy chief executive officer Bradford Ochieng said enforcement of standards is provided for by the Uganda Tourism Act 2008, which requires all accommodation facilities in Uganda to be licenced by UTB.

The accommodation facilities are categorised as hotels, lodges, guest houses, motels, Inns, serviced apartments, cottages, villas, hostels, tenanted camps and farmhouses.

The operating licence is a must

A communication issued by UTB recently indicated that effective November 18, 2024, all accommodation facilities without a tourism operating licence, shall be closed.

Samora Semakula, the manager for the quality assurance and standards department under UTB, sensitised Police officers about the registration and licensing of tourist accommodation regulations, which are provided for under section 34 of the Uganda Tourism Act.

Semakula defined the campsite as an area set aside for camping and providing appropriate basic facilities and services while a caravan is defined as a vehicle equipped to be used by persons for living and sleeping purposes and includes a self-propelled vehicle or a trailer.

Quoting the regulations, a cottage or villa refers to an establishment characterised by a cluster of lettable units for tourist accommodation with or without self-catering facilities, which include residential premises for holiday making by owners, friends or relatives, with or without charge.

The regulations also define eco-lodges, guest houses, hostels, lodges, motels, restaurants, tour operators, serviced apartments, self-contained bedrooms, safari or tented camps, among others.

Stipulated punishments for defaulters range from fines, imprisonment and closure of business enterprises. 

Allan Opolot, the Entebbe zonal commander for the tourism Police, said, the unit is mandated to protect tourists and tourism sites. He lauded UTB for promoting not only the tourism sites and products but also the accommodation facilities. 

"However, the board cannot continue promoting such accommodation facilities that do not meet the standards. It kills tourism and affects the entire economy," Opolot said.

Bradford Ochieng, the deputy chief executive officer for Uganda Tourism Board addresses police commanders during the training on the enforcement of standards of tourism facilities. (Credit: Julius Luwemba)

Quality enforcement will be a continuous process

Patrick Lawot, the deputy director of the Tourism Police, said effective November 18, the enforcement will be a continuous process across the country. 

"We hope not to reach that level of closing up any accommodation facility because at the end of the day, upgrading standards is for the advantage of respective accommodation facilities before it becomes an advantage for UTB and the Government," Lawot stated.

He noted that the enforcement will be the third phase of ensuring standards by accommodation facilities. 

"We have been engaging the owners of accommodation facilities among other players and thus, expect not to find it hard during this enforcement exercise," the Police boss said.

UTB deputy chief executive officer Bradford Ochieng observed that the law that empowers UTB to enforce standards has been in place for so many years, 'but we had to give our people enough time to comply'. 

"We have also carried out rigorous sensitisation programmes on the registration and licensing procedures," Ochieng said, adding that out of 4,000 estimated accommodation facilities, less than 400 have been licensed.

He added that licensing accommodation facilities has been effected in other countries in the region to ensure customer satisfaction. 

"This whole exercise is not about us collecting money. We want to ensure components such as hygiene, customer care, room space, proper food storage and preparation among others," Ochieng said.

Convention Bureau

A new unit known as the Uganda Convention Bureau under the quality assurance department of UTB was created to market Uganda as a destination for meetings, incentives, conferences, exhibitions and events.

UTB chief executive officer Lilly Ajarova said for the convention bureau to operate effectively, Uganda's accommodation facilities ought to meet the required standards.

Ajarova added that Uganda ranks sixth when it comes to organising international conferences and meetings in Africa. 

"We proved ourselves as a country when we hosted the NAM and G77+ China conferences early this year," Ajarova said.

She noted that the conferences did not only give Uganda an international public relations value but also increased the employment opportunities for thousands of Ugandans.

The strategic plan for the year 2024/2025 aims at catapulting Uganda towards a GDP of $50b by the year 2039. At its core, the plan lays a multifaceted approach encompassing destination marketing, quality assurance and holistic stakeholder engagement.