Museveni directs tourism ministry to give Katurum Lodge to Karamoja businessman

President Yoweri Museveni has directed the Ministry of Trade and Tourism to hand over the dilapidated Katurum Lodge in Kidepo National Game Park to Karamoja businessman Mr. Cornelius Lorika Kodet.

In a letter written on 14th May to Mr. Kainda Otafire the minister in charge, the president’s principle private secretary Mrs. Amelia Kyambadde noted:

“During his Excellency the president’s meeting with Mzee Kodet Cornelius Lorika on 18th April 2010 at state House Entebbe, Mzee Kodet requested for permission to renovate and take possession of Katurum Lodge. Accordingly HE accepted and directed that Mr. Kodet be allowed to take possession and renovate the lodge.”

Katurum lodge located in Kidepo National Nark found in northern Karamoja was constructed 31 years ago during Amin’s government to accommodate tourists that would pay a visit to the park. The lodge is also one of the Uganda Wild life Authority (UWA) properties which were recently advertised via international tender of joint ventures.

Other accommodation facilities and sites which were advertised by UWA include; the destroyed Grand Katurum Lodge in Kidepo Valley National Park, two sites in Lake Mburo National Park, Rwonyo, and Kigarama, a site in Semliki National Park near the hot springs

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Others are facilities in both the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National park and the central park area including new developments in the Murchison falls and Queen Elizabeth national park.

Mr. Cornelius Lorika Kodet is the proprietor of, Aero beach in Entebbe, Mount Moroto hotel in Moroto, Apule Safari Lodge in Mbale and he is one of the senior directors of African Power Initiative (API), a local company currently running Jotropha plantation in Nakapiripirit district.

A friend to King Solomon Gafabusa Iguru of Bunyoro Mr. Kodet also plans to start commercial ranching and agro forestry in Kiryandongo in Masindi district.

“I am finalising with the business plans for Bunyoro. I hope to start off as soon as possible, it should kick off before the end of the year, “he says.