Several bars around Kampala registered a good turn up of revelers on Monday night following the full reopening of the economy after 22 months of closure resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The government allowed all places of social gatherings to resume their operations on January 24th, 2022, two weeks after reopening schools.
Ronald Galiwango, the manager of Ambiance Club Nakulabye, says that the reopening was very fruitful. “What happened on Monday is more than what happens here on both Easter Sunday and Easter Monday combined,” he said. He, however, noted that despite the huge turnout, the revelers didn’t spend as they used to do prior to the lockdown.
The general manager of Catwalk Lounge on the sixth street only identified as Elijah told URN that they didn’t resume work on Monday. He, however, says that the turn up was good on Tuesday despite the fact that it was below their expectation because they thought people were hungry after spending 22 months without partying.
Denis Mbabazi, the manager of Bubbles Irish Pub along John Babiha road, said that although people turned up they didn’t spend that much, which she attributed to limited disposable income. “We know people are from struggling with school fees, which was a tough one, but their turn up is an indicator of good business ahead,” Mbabazi said.
The Chief Supervisor of H20 Lounge only Identified as Salama also confirmed a good turnup of their clients. “But the low expenditure is self-explanatory because the lockdown was not good for anyone be it governments themselves,” Salama explained.
Some places such as Club Obligato along Bombo road received fewer revelers than expected. Carolyne Nalukwago Mutambuzze, the events manager at Club Obligato notes that they received a very negligible number of revelers on days one and two.
She attributes this to the location of the club in the city center. “On the first day people were not sure whether the night economy is reopened, and most of them rushed home, on the assurance that it was reopened, they went to clubs near their homes, that how we missed out,” she said.
She says that they had to close early yet they had planned to work overnight. Some popular spots like Guvnor and Beverly Hill Kansanga among others are yet to resume business for various reasons.
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