Uganda launches green hospitality drive with financing and retrofit plans

Uganda has launched a National Green Hospitality Initiative intended to help hotels, lodges, resorts and conference facilities reduce energy costs and attract investment in cleaner operations. The programme was launched at Kampala’s Serena Hotel on October 20, according to an October 21 report by The Independent. It was co-hosted by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development and Equity Bank Uganda. Energy State Minister Phiona Nyamutoro presented solar power, battery storage, efficient equipment, clean cooking and electric mobility as opportunities to improve service reliability and reduce exposure to unpredictable energy expenses. She said efficiency savings could be reinvested in staff, facilities and business expansion, while the transition could generate work for auditors, engineers, installers, equipment suppliers and maintenance companies. The proposed programme includes energy assessments and potential retrofits for hospitality facilities, Uganda Green Hotel Standards, measures to address investment barriers and a specialised financing window. It also envisages awards recognising measurable sustainability performance. Four to five facilities are proposed for detailed assessment and possible retrofit support as demonstration projects ahead of the next Renewable Energy Conference. Equity Bank’s Catherine Psomgen said financial institutions needed to convert viable opportunities into bankable investments. Financing options discussed included green loans, equipment finance, leasing and blended finance. A Green Tourism Business Clinic is expected to help operators review cash flows and consider retrofit financing. Proposed arrangements also include concessional credit and energy-service-company pay-as-you-save models. Hotel Owners Association chairperson Jean Byamugisha cautioned that access to loans would not by itself ensure adoption. She urged lenders to reflect seasonal hotel revenues in repayment schedules, with greater flexibility during quieter periods. The report describes an initiative and proposed financing mechanisms, not a disclosed disbursement or completed retrofit programme. It is a single local-source account and has not been independently corroborated.