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Moroto, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The business community and leaders in Karamoja have joined the rest of the East African Community in mourning the death of Hajji Bulaimu Muwanga Kibirige BMK. He was buried in Nkoowe today.
Kibirige who died on Friday in Nairobi after battling cancer for long, built Hotel Africana Moroto Limited, the first multi-billion hotel in Moroto.
Micheal Lote the district NRM Chairperson of Moroto said the deceased opened up hotel business in Karamoja that has now attracted other hotel companies to Moroto.
“Kibirige didn’t get scared to invest in Karamoja like others even when insecurity was still rife in Karamoja,” he said.
Peter Kolibi, a businessman in Moroto Municipality said the death of Kibirige is a big blow to the young business groups coming up in Karamoja.
“We had a lot to learn from Mr. Kibirige as far as business is concerned, he was down to earth and whenever he could come to Moroto he interacted with every business man regardless who you are,” he said.
Andrew Keem, the former district chairperson of Moroto praised the late Kibirige as one of the few who had Karamoja at heart.
“That hotel built by Hajji Kibirige in Moroto has changed the beauty of Moroto town to look like areal town,” he said.
The come of Kibirige with his BMK company to build a hotel in Moroto made the value of property in Moroto to start rising.
Today a plot of land along the street of Moroto-Soroti where Hotel Africana in Moroto is located costs more than 70 million Shillings, yet it used to be 30,000 shillings several year ago, according to locals.
Simon Nangiro, the president of Moroto Development Forum said the death of Kibirige is a big blow to Moroto Municipality which is now advancing towards a city status and needs sharp brains of the likes of Kibirige to steer it.
“Kibirige who’s also a landlord in Moroto Municipality has gone so soon when Moroto Municipality still needs his style of developing projects that could push up the Municipality’s revenue,” Nangiro said.
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