Built in 1950, Ripon Falls Hotel, as it was known then, is set to be demolished to pave way for redevelopment. The hotel had joined the long list of dilapidated and abandoned buildings after no care was given to the once memorial mark.
The hotel back then was built to specifically accommodate Queen Elizabeth on her maiden trip to Uganda where she was coming to officially open the newly constructed Owen Falls Dam. Information from Jinja City, a Facebook page that showcases the beauty of Jinja through photography, Ripon Hotel was the third hotel after Masindi and Speke Hotels built in the 1920s.
Having accommodated the queen of England, Ripon Falls Hotel went on to become the top hangout for affluent Europeans living in Jinja then till 1962 when it was handed over to the Ugandan government at independence. It was during the turbulent 1970s that due to mismanagement and lack of business the hotel collapsed; it became neglected and it dilapidated hence its abandonment.
The building that has until recently been accommodating squatters has over the years attracted attention from developers and real estate gurus as some approached government to buy in to no avail.
Recently, iron sheets were pinned to the perimeter, a sign that someone had bought in and was set to demolish it. There is uncertainty as to who is the new proud owner of the space as several lay claims to the property. What is clear though is that it is going to be demolished and redeveloped.
This is totally the opposite of a resolution by Jinja Municipal Council in 2014 where the Town Clerk, David Kyasanku said they revisited the decision to demolish the buildings on advice from the tourism ministry. The building still has some antiques like the furniture (bed & chairs) that the queen used on her stay at the hotel
