Celebrating Success: 459 Students Graduate from UHTTI

A total of 459 students (268 female and 191 male) graduated with diplomas and certificates from the Jinja-based Uganda Hotel and Tourism Training Institute (UHTTI) on November 8, 2024. Of these, 268 are students enrolled in normal programs, while 191 are apprentices sponsored by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in partnership with the Uganda Hotel Owners Association (UHOA), the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development.

Richard Kawere, the Principal of the Institute, made a compelling call for the government to enhance access to hospitality education by increasing funding for the institute. “The cost of training a hospitality professional is quite high, and I call upon the government to increase access to hospitality education through increased funding to the institute.”  Kawere further expressed concern regarding the low enrollment of males in hospitality education programs. He pointed out that despite available data indicating that males tend to earn more than females in the industry, there remains a limited number of male students pursuing this field of study.

The Minister of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, Col (Rtd) Tom Butime, who attended the graduation as the guest of honor, congratulated the successful candidates and urged them to defend their profession by demonstrating the highest level of skill in the hospitality industry. He further commended the Uganda Hotel and Tourism Training Institute (UHTTI) for leading the growth of the tourism sector by producing skilled manpower essential for its development. “For the sector to grow as projected in the 10-fold strategy from $1.6 billion to $50 billion in revenue contribution, it requires well-trained manpower, and UHTTI is progressively addressing this need,” Butime stated.

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