Table of Contents
Videos of trucks hauling earth around Speke Resort Munyonyo's gardens have circulated widely on social media, and Uganda's richest man wants to make one thing clear: he is not filling in Lake Victoria.
Sudhir Ruparelia, chairman of the Ruparelia Group, pushed back against the accusations this week, telling journalists that the ground-raising work at his lakeside resort in Munyonyo is flood protection, not encroachment. The activity, he said, is confined entirely to land owned by his companies and has been carried out with the knowledge and approval of the National Environment Management Authority.
"We have not degraded Lake Victoria. It is completely false, misguided rumours and information," Ruparelia told reporters during a media briefing at the site.
His explanation traces back to an extreme weather event. Between 2019 and 2022, unusually heavy rains pushed Lake Victoria to its highest recorded level since 1964, reaching 13.4 metres by May 2022, according to the Lake Victoria Basin Commission. The flooding affected land along the shoreline, including ground within the Munyonyo resort complex. When the lake levels eventually receded, portions of that land were left compromised and vulnerable to renewed flooding. Ruparelia said the current work is designed to raise and secure those areas against exactly that risk.
"Being adjacent to Lake Victoria is one of the unique attractions of this facility. It is an asset that we guard jealously," he said, adding that the last thing he wants is for muddy water to reach the shoreline when heads of state are walking the grounds.
That reference to heads of state is not incidental. Ruparelia Group, in a joint venture with the Uganda Development Corporation, is building the Speke Resort Convention Centre, a 4,400-seater facility designed to host large international summits. The broader Munyonyo complex, which includes Speke Resort Munyonyo and Munyonyo Commonwealth Resort, already has roughly 40 indoor meeting and banqueting facilities with a combined capacity of about 19,000 people. The convention centre, once complete, will add a multipurpose hall, 12 high-end conference rooms and a floating restaurant with capacity for over 900 guests.
NEMA confirmed in a statement that it had approved the ground-raising activities, noting that the work was cleared to protect the gardens from flooding. The authority said its approval came with a condition: the grass removed from the area must be replanted, and it said it would monitor compliance to ensure the integrity of Lake Victoria is maintained.
Ruparelia conducted a site tour for journalists to show the construction zone and demonstrate that no material was being dumped into the lake itself. He said all work at the site has been done in line with environmental and municipal regulations.
Sudhir Ruparelia is Uganda's wealthiest individual, with a business empire spanning hospitality, real estate, education, banking and insurance under the Ruparelia Group umbrella. His hotel portfolio includes Speke Resort Munyonyo, Kabira Country Club and Paradise Island Resort on Lake Victoria. His property and investment arm, Meera Investments, is one of the largest commercial landlords in Kampala.
