KAMPALA: In 2012, while appearing before MPs, Rosette Byengoma, current Permanent Secretary in the ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs, tabled minutes of two meetings chaired by the late Eriya Kategeya, the First Deputy Premier and Minister for East African Affairs that saw Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence leave its strategic base at Kitante in the central Business District of Kampala.
“His Excellency appointed a high-level committee chaired by the First Deputy Prime Minister, Hon Eriya Kategaya, to handle this issue because the land was changing hands from us (CMI and ministry of Defence) to Speke Group of Hotels Limited,” Byengoma told the MPs.
The two meetings chaired by Kategaya took place at the ministry of East African Community Affairs headquarters on 14 July and 17 September, 2009. Kategaya doubles as minister for East African Community Affairs. Byengoma said Kategaya’s committee agreed that Speke Group of Hotels takes over the Kitante land and its Chairman, Kampala Tycoon Sudhir Ruperalia builds a new home for CMI at Mbuya.
“An alternative home was constructed [on] Mbuya hill,” she said. This is where CMI is currently headquartered.
According to the minutes Byengoma tabled, the 14 July meeting was attended by: ministers Dr Crispus Kiyonga (Defence), Sam Kutesa (Foreign Affairs), Omara Atubo (formerly Lands minister) and Okello Oryem (state for Foreign Affairs); former Solicitor General, Justice Billy Kainamura; Uganda Land Commission (ULC) chairman; Mayanja Nkagi (RIP); ULC secretary, K.S.B Mubbala; and Sarah Kulata.
But the land which went unutilized for nearly ten years, apart from a perimeter fence that was erected around it by the Ruperalia Group , is now set for a magnificent business park that will not only shake the architectural terrain of Kampala, it will change the city’s skyline for good and create over 500 jobs, once completed.
Inside Pearl Business Park:
Named after Uganda’s ‘nom de guerre,’ the Pearl of Africa, by former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, Pearl Business Park is an 18-acre mixed use facility that will host a 5-star hotel, a shopping mall and a modern hospital when complete.
The Ruperalias, known for their affinity to unique architectural projects that have seen them firm a foothold in the real estate industry, spanning hotels, live –in apartments, office space in prime locations and shops, released the artistic impression of the their latest massive project early this week.
The project is expected to open shop in 15 months’ time with the first Phase to be completed by 2023. It will cater for office space while the building will have 16 lettable floors with 27,240 square meters of built up area.
There will be two parking floors, accommodating 360 cars.
Dr Sudhir Ruperalia, Chairman of the Group says his company is committed to continuously investing in modern and innovative real estate solutions to feed her growth and needs.
“This latest project is one of several dozen of Greenfield projects. One of very many to come in the near future, largely to feed Uganda’s growing demand for high quality and sustainable retail, residential, office and industrial solutions, “the property mogul said.
“Uganda is very special to us (as Ruparelia Group) because, it is our home, where it all started. Uganda is our home and we are proud to share in and participate in her dreams and aspirations. Every developing country needs a matching stock of high quality real estate infrastructure to fuel further growth and you can always count on us to play that role, so you can be able to focus on your core business,” he said in a statement.
The Group Managing Director Rajiv Ruparelia said the Pearl Business Park’s location, design and amenities have been optimised to maximise functionality, health and safety and productivity in mind and subsequently value for money for its occupants.
“It is essentially a green office, sustainably designed, to minimize negative impact on the environment, while enhancing the health and comfort of the building’s occupants, “he said.
What will Make Pearl Business Park Tick?
That park will have 16,660 of lettable floors, Parking floors, 27,240 square meters of built up space, 24/7 security area, Fully automated fire detection system on all floors, 3 foam and 3 CO2 fire extinguishers , 3 easily accessible escape staircases, Boundary wall with steel grille enclosing the site, Smoke detectors and heat sensors within a 5meter wide radius, sounders and manual call points, 3 fire hose reels on each floor with each covering a 30 meter radius, Fire sprinkler systems spaced every 3 Battery powered LED fire escape signage, Vehicle and pedestrian check points at all entrances, Access control to turnstiles on, ISO certified fire rated electrical cables for the alarm systems throughout the building, Standby wet-riser with 6 bar pressure, accessible on all floors, 145,200 liter capacity fire reserve tank in basement with dedicated fire booster pump, 2 hour fire rated doors, Easily accessible external assembly, Access controlled lifts on all floors, 24 hour dedicated security, 170 CCTV cameras in all public areas, a Grand driveway leading to a covered drop off point with a concierge desk, Ground & two basement levels of car parking space, provision for Internet cable connection point to the building, Availability of six passenger lifts to all floors, Waste garbage collection room in the basement, Building Lightening Arrestor, Heavy Reinforced concrete Raft Foundation, Terrazo paved parking, Superior quality vitrified tiles, Non slip floor tiles within the toilets, Ceramic fancy countertop wash basin, Wall hung sitting closet with concealed cistern as toilet, Dip in Hand driers, Bevel polished toilet Mirrors, 630 KvA three phase Umeme power supply to the building, Main entrance door of Natural hard (Muvulie) wood timber with door closer and stopper, Powder coated Aluminium windows finished with double glazed 6mm clear glass, Granite sill to windows, Safety latch to the glass projection windows, Water base / matt emulsion paint in the common areas and the internal walls of the offices, External wall of the building to be finished with weather shield exterior grade emulsion/texture paste paint and Glass window curtain wall cladding finish, National water main supply to the backup built underground water tank which pumps to the overhead storage tanks at the roof top, Two covered floor levels of basement parking, Open on surface parking space on the ground floor, Covered drop off point on the ground floor building entrance, Concealed 3 phase wiring for each floor with ISI marked superior quality PVC insulated copper cables, Three Compartment PVC trunking with provisions of Double socket power plug points being controlled by ELCB & MCB around the office walls, Two 24hrs Power back up standby generators and Modular electrical switches with adequate electrical points.
Mr Sudhir Ruperalia told MediaScape News that all this effort is projected to create over 500 direct jobs for Ugandans.