Guvnor, a renowned club, will be discontinuing its Saturday night operations after nearly 24 years of nightlife, starting next month.
According to an official statement from the entity, the decision to cease Saturday operations is owed to decrease in business.
"Guvnor informs its patrons that owing to sharp drop in business, we are ceasing Saturday night operations starting June 2024," Guvnor announced.
Despite this change, Guvnor's management says they will still be available for private parties and events on Saturdays and will officially be open for live band performances only on Fridays.
"We thank you and truly appreciate your support through the years." Guvnor added.
The club was established in December 2010 as a response to declining business at Ange Noir, then owned by Charlie Lubega.
In 2019, Winston Mayanja, also known as Tshaka Mayanja or Jazz Safari, one of the top administrators at Guvnor revealed that upon realisation that Ange Noir's crowd was starting to get smaller and less effective in monetary terms, Lubega came up with the idea of starting Guvnor, with a focus on attracting an older and more sophisticated clientele.
"We now had to make sure Guvnor was the Nightclub to be, to continue where it's "parents" left off. One of the first things I felt had to be done was to bring back Live music to this place," Mayanja said then.
Over the years, Guvnor invested heavily in revamping its interior design and offering unique nightlife experiences to compete with then number one hangout spot, Club Silk.
With this massive investment coupled with unique live band experiences, Guvnor managed to beat competition from Club Silk, somewhat forcing it out of the business.
Since the demise of Club Silk, Guvnor has maintained its status as one of the most consistent nightclubs in Kampala.
However, challenges such as industry changes and the impact of Covid-19 have made it difficult for many nightclubs to stay afloat in Uganda.
With the closure of Saturday nightlife operations, Guvnor, Just like Ange Noir, Club Silk, Club Rouge, Amnesia faces an uncertain future.
