A widow's journey: This is how I've built my hospitality business

Susan Birungi was looking forward to her church wedding day. It was just two days away and she had imagined a colourful event full of laughter and dances.

On November 8, 2009, the priest at their Catholic church in Mubende, central region of Uganda, had made the first announcement to the congregation of their upcoming wedding.

Then three days later, the sad news came. Susan, an accountant and public servant, was busy at her workplace. Her husband, whom she had seen off in the morning, had died on his way to Kampala, Uganda’s capital. The bus he was travelling in was involved in a road accident.

“His death was so painful. It is ever fresh in my mind, but I’m slowly recovering,” she says.

The loss of her husband before they officiated their marriage gripped her with the worry of her in-laws kicking her out of the home they had built together and the property they had jointly acquired.

“We were great partners. He would tell me his plans. I’d share mine,” she says.

“Together we committed to working hard to give our children the best life. We saved a lot. We bought land together. We had just bought our family car when he died. So I was entitled to everything we owned.”

Also read: In the shadows of tradition: Widows recount silent horrors

Her fears never came to pass. The in-laws supported her through the grieving period. She says they would send her cooked food. During school reopening and visiting days, they would also accompany her.

A heavy burden, however, lay over her head. She had four children to educate, feed and clothe. The death of her husband meant reduced household income.

They had already built commercial houses and boys’ quarters in Mubende town where they lived as they built a nine-bedroom family house on another piece of land within the town. They had jointly bought the parcels.

Some days before his death, they had agreed to convert the family house into a guesthouse. He had already completed one room: the master bedroom.

With the support of her in-laws, she used the Ush2.1 million condolence money to convert the sitting room into a restaurant and a bar.

In 2011, a local hospital advertised a food supply tender. She confidently put in her bid. “But they told me: “No! You can only get our money if you have registered your restaurant as a company.’”

She had no clue how to register a company. To find answers, she did research. Later, with the blessing of her brother-in-law and father-in-law, she registered the company with them as shareholders. She named it P Panorama Suites Company Limited, P standing for her husband, Peter Mugisha.

In 2012, the hospital advertised for pre-qualified suppliers, she applied and got selected. To this day, she is a pre-qualified supplier of food consumed by patients and hospital staff.

Following the pre-qualification, the hospital started referring consulting and visiting medical personnel to her for accommodation. But she had only one room ready.

Instead of turning away the visitors, she would book them in another hotel and from the cut she completed the rest of the rooms.

Now from the combined profits of the food supply tender, restaurant and rooms, she has expanded to 14 rooms. Her children have attained university-level education.

“I’m very careful not to lose to it (food supply tender) because it has really helped me,” says the now managing director of P Panorama Suites Company Limited.

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