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By Allen Kansiime
Ugandan businessman and billionaire Sudhir Ruparelia is set to expand his hospitality empire with the opening of Paradise Island Resort, a luxury private island retreat on Lake Victoria scheduled to welcome its first guests on December 1, 2026.
The resort, developed under the Ruparelia Group, sits on a 19-acre island approximately 20 minutes by speedboat from Speke Resort Munyonyo, the group's flagship hospitality property on the shores of Lake Victoria, south of Kampala.
Designed as an eco-friendly luxury destination, Paradise Island Resort will operate entirely on solar energy, combining high-end hospitality with environmental conservation. Indigenous trees have been preserved during development, while a neighbouring rocky island known for its birdlife adds to the natural appeal of the destination.
The facility features 38 accommodation units developed in two phases, comprising 22 and 16 units respectively. These include 10 standard cottages, 11 cliff-hanger cottages overlooking the lake, 14 deluxe two-bedroom cottages and three executive villas.
The resort is expected to cater for a diverse clientele, including couples, families, corporate organisations and international visitors. Its facilities will also accommodate conferences, corporate retreats, weddings and private functions.
One of its major attractions is a man-made beach stretching approximately 500 metres, constructed through an extensive operation that involved transporting sand and building materials across the lake using a specially designed barge.
The project is being spearheaded by Sheena Ruparelia, daughter of Sudhir Ruparelia, and represents another major addition to the family's growing investments in Uganda's tourism and hospitality industry.
Construction of Paradise Island Resort commenced on May 1, 2021, although its completion and opening have faced several delays.
The Ruparelia Group had initially targeted November 2025 for its launch before pushing the opening to around Easter 2026 and subsequently June. The project was reported to have reached approximately 95 per cent structural completion by November 2025.
Although the group has not publicly disclosed the total investment in the project, its scale and facilities reflect a significant addition to Uganda's premium tourism and leisure market.
Paradise Island joins an established hospitality portfolio that includes Speke Resort Munyonyo, Kabira Country Club and Speke Hotel, among other properties.
Speke Resort Munyonyo has hosted several major international gatherings, including the 2007 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting and the Non-Aligned Movement Summit in January 2024, strengthening Uganda's profile as a destination for international conferences and events.
Sudhir Ruparelia, who returned to Uganda from Britain in 1985 after his family left the country during the 1972 expulsion of Asians under former President Idi Amin, has built the Ruparelia Group into one of Uganda's largest privately owned business conglomerates.
Starting with trading activities, the group has expanded into real estate, hospitality, education, floriculture, insurance and media, with property investments accounting for a substantial share of its business interests.
The conglomerate owns hundreds of commercial and residential properties, particularly across Kampala, alongside its investments in other sectors of the economy.
With Paradise Island Resort, the group is extending its footprint in Uganda's tourism industry while adding a new luxury destination to the Lake Victoria hospitality circuit.
The December 1 opening will mark the culmination of a development project that has taken more than five years, positioning the private island retreat as a new addition to Uganda's growing portfolio of premium leisure and tourism facilities.
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