The Kampala Club, known as the ‘Top Club’ was opened in 1911 for Officers of the Colonial administration. There were similar clubs in other main towns (Mbarara, Fort Portal, Soroti etc), whose members had reciprocal membership of the Kampala Club.  Club members also had reciprocal membership with the Nairobi Club, the Dar es Salaam Club, the Lusaka Club and the Harare Club. For the first 30-40 years the Club Rules restricted membership to “persons of pure European descent” (though in practice membership was restricted to those at ‘Officer’ level, and at the time there were no Ugandans above the level of ‘Assistant Officer’).  By 1966 this clause had been dropped from the Rules and Ugandan and Asian members were admitted to the Club from sometime in the 50’s.

The Badminton Hall was also used as a theatre (it has a stage, and still had curtain rails and curtains up until the 70’s). Plays, concerts, and pantomimes were regularly performed here by the KATS (Kampala Amateur Theatrical Society – the precursor to the current KADS). Alice Boase, the wife of AJ Boase, and mother of Margaret (below) was a member of KATS and she often performed in plays. She was also in a small orchestra called “Cats (or Kats) on Tiles. She wrote a book “When the Sun never Sets: a Family’s Life in the British Empire” from which the following excerpt about the Club in the 30’s is taken: “our social highlight was a monthly dance at the club, which had a newly constructed ballroom with the unique distinction of a wooden floor, which was a lot easier on one’s feet than the usual cement. It also boasted a stage, which was a great asset to local amateur performers among whom I later came to be numbered. In general, the clubs were all male strongholds and women were only grudgingly given access to a veranda referred to as the ‘boat deck’ and to the library”

Alice Boase was clearly a prominent person in Kampala, both she and her husband were members of the Kampala Municipal Council – she and Barbara Sabin being the first women! She was also on the Board of the Uganda Club, set up in 1953/54 and was involved in selecting the fixtures and fitting. The Uganda Club (now part of the State House complex) was originally built for Sir Charles Griffin (Alice’s father) who was the first Judge at the then newly constructed High Court (about 1930).

The Club was clearly known for its social events – in 1946/47 there was a Teenage Ball, for which the teenagers were given dancing lessons! On New Year’s Eve there were Fancy Dress Balls in the Ballroom – although one year the sprung floor gave way at one side due to the stamping of the revellers!

Many of the Club’s Chairmen have been distinguished citizens. One of the Club’s chairmen, JCR Sturrock (1923) had come to Uganda in 1913 to be a tutor to the young Kabaka, Daudi Chwa. After he left Uganda in 1927 he became Resident Commissioner of Basutoland (now Lesotho).

Another, Sir Geoffrey Archer, Governor of Uganda in 1923, and Club chairman in 1924, was a distinguished and well-known ornithologist, discovering over 20 species and subspecies new to science on a trip to Lake Albert, the Semliki valley and the Rwenzori in 1902.  After Uganda he was appointed Governor-General of Sudan.

Yet another, Claude Herbert Marshall (1933), was a renowned authority on trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness). An obituary records that: “He was the first surgical specialist to be appointed to any of the Easter African Governments. He went on safari with the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Gloucester and after many years service in Uganda, left to take over the hospital at Kakamega mines”

The main building of the Kampala Club seems to have looked very much as it does now. The Cooper bar was known as the Boat Deck, the MTN business centre was a billiards/snooker room, the Men’s bar was the Men’s bar, and what is now the office and meeting room was a library. The present Shanghai restaurant was a restaurant and bar. The squash courts (the original two) were also there.
The main stairs leading up to the Cooper bar were much wider – see the photograph taken below in 1954 at the wedding of Eric and Margaret Knowlden (nee Boase). Margaret is the daughter of Arthur Joseph Boase who at the time was the only ophthalmic surgeon in Kampala, Chairman of the Kampala club in 1950 and a lifetime member from 1955.

Tennis was played at the Kampala Club tennis courts, which were across the road, on the site where the Sheraton Hotel is now. This was presumably the Nakasero Tennis Club, with which the Kampala Club amalgamated in 1951 according to the AGM minutes. After tennis, fresh orange juice was served to players in the Cooper Bar.
The Kampala Club during the 40/50s was a very pleasant place to meet friends, with comfortable lounge chairs arranged along the boat deck, good service and a cool breeze from Lake Victoria in the evenings. Delicious and very substantial free bar snacks were served on Saturdays which proved to be very popular.
There was also another Sports Club, the Kampala Sports Club on the site of what is now the International Conference Centre and the Crested Towers. This Club was mainly for cricket, but also had hockey, football and some tennis courts. In addition, from 1955, the Uganda Sports Union constructed the sporting factilities that were to become the Lugogo sports complex.
The Club committee reported to the AGM in 1951 that: “ A matter of special importance to Members has been an appreciation of the practicability of introducing residential and catering facilities into the Club”. This was subsequently approved by a Special General Meeting held on 18th April 1952.
Dennis and Helena Suffield opened a very sophisticated restaurant in the Club around 1953 – and did the catering for the wedding pictured above, as well as many other functions. Provisions were often brought in by air.
Staff outside the newly opened restaurant 1954
Club cottage 1954
Current members will be interested to know that even in 1951 there was resistance to increasing club subscriptions. At the 1951 AGM attended by 3 committee members (chaired by Chairman Dr AJ Boase, father of the pictured bride) and 51 members on 14th December 1951, a member proposed an increase in subscriptions. The minutes report that “Capt Boazman failed to see why it was necessary to meet increased costs of maintaining the Club by a general increase in subscriptions, when it was apparent from the accounts that sections of the Club activities were running at a loss and mentioned specifically tennis, squash and the provision of free snacks at the bars at weekends. He recommended that in order to offset the loss on tennis that a charge should be made per set of games and further that the snacks should no longer be provided free of charge. Mr Wilkinson was of the opinion that the amalgamation with the Nakasero Tennis Club had benefitted the Club considerably, largely owing to increased bar profits. On being put to the vote, the motion (increase in subscriptions) was rejected”.
Undeterred, according to the agenda for the 1952 AGM, the committee again proposed the following increases: for Full town members from Shs 15 to Shs 20, and for elected Lady town members from Shs 5 to Shs 10. The minutes of this meeting are not available so we do not know if the Committee was successful on this occasion.
The committee report to the 1951 AGM thanked the members responsible for the “thankless task” of re-organising the Library, for attending to the floral decoration of the Club and for creating the very attractive flower garden in front of the Manager’s house.

There was an annual Christmas party for children of members, CFO Don Flint supplying a Fire Appliance for Father Christmas.
There is a reference to re-siting the Popsy Bar as a surround to the Fireplace (presumably the fireplace in the Shanghai main restaurant?).

The first Ugandans joined the Club in the 60’s, one of the very first being Henry Bale.

One former member, Philip Lewis (son of Clifford Lewis, chairman for 4 years in between 1947-1956), “young teens spent a good deal of time at the club, particularly, during school holidays in the very early sixties. Apart from tennis and squash we used to go each week to the square dancing event, held, if my memory serves me correctly, every Monday evening. There was also a popular film show each Sunday evening–good old 8mm films!

As you entered the front of the building closest to the current restaurant end and up the stairs, you reached the open plan area where there was a bar called “The Popsy Bar”. The actual bar was sited right of the corridor leading to the Men’s Bar. This was where families used to meet for drinks–very popular.

 Of course, then there was the Men’s bar next to the snooker room. Very popular with the men who were most keen on their gin and tonics and Scotch and water.

A lot of money used to change hands on betting occasions and a great deal attention was paid to the one and only Fruit Machine which, at times, was very generous with its pay-outs!

The snooker room’s (another popular venue) walls were festooned with caricatures of various long standing members–I believe these were removed during Amin’s rule.”

During the 60’s, after Independence, the Obote Government set up the Uganda Hotels, and wanted to develop the land where the Kampala Club tennis courts were, to build the Apolo hotel, so the Kampala Club was offered the plot where the tennis courts and swimming pool are now. This plot had a road running along the side, Speke Avenue, from Ssezibwa road at the bottom, up into Nehru Road (then called Kings Road), in what is now State House property. The street lights can still be seen behind the Stand on Court 3. The courts were built in 1968-1970 by the Government, in addition to the original bar building, the changing rooms and the stand at Court 3. Originally 6 courts were built, in a unique terraced design to maximise the use of the available land, but when it was realised that the courts were not sufficiently used, the sixth court was turned into the swimming pool – hence the fact that some members still refer to the swimming pool area as “Court Six” (the Court 6 sign is still there). The swimming pool was designed in the shape of the continent of Africa. There was a children’s pool down where the gym is now, and a tennis practice wall.

In 1969 life membership cost £100 (about a month’s salary for the person who reported this). At this time the rooms at the Club were well used by up-country members and other visitors.

The barman of the Verandah bar at this time was a very friendly man from the Comoros.

Members from the early 70’s report that only Club members could pay for drinks and that bills were settled monthly. At some stage a club ‘currency’ was introduced (similar to the Masonic Lodge and the Entebbe Sailing club now). Members bought books of coupons in advance and paid for everything with the coupons. Functions and parties were held in the Hall, and dancing was on the verandah outside (between the scrabble table and the darts’ board), where a ‘dance floor circle’ is still marked.
During both Amin and Obote’s rule, Kampala Club members gradually lost the use of the Club premises, which were only fully returned in the 80’s.
In around 1972 the Kampala Club committee (chaired from 1971 to 1981 by Adrian Sibo, the first Ugandan Chairman) were instructed to vacate the main club house, restaurant and accommodation which were handed over to Uganda Hotels to be run as the Standard Hotel (managed at one time by a Mr Lubega).
Members (who by then were mostly Uganda, as many Europeans had left Uganda after Independence) were still allowed to use the Cooper bar, but most chose not to, and all activities were centred round the Swimming pool bar. Chief Justice Sheridan, who was a regular at the Club, was one of the last European Club members at that time. There was a separate gate onto the road (similar to the one between Court 5 and the swimming pool) and members parked in the vacant lot next door (where British Airways is now) where there was a vandalised house belonging to Ochola. The tennis and squash courts operated on a pay and play basis.
At around the same time, Amin decided to hold a Trade Fair at the Lugogo grounds, and the sportsmen were evicted, the cricketers to the Clock Tower cricket ground, and many of the tennis players moved to the Kampala Club.
Also, when the plans were drawn up to build the mosque in Old Kampala, other tennis players who used to play at the Libyan/Arab tennis club on the proposed site, also joined the Kampala club.
During this time, the most regular Club members were those who used the sports facilities (mostly tennis) , namely Adrian Sibo, Ben Nyakabwa, Eng George Akol, Peter Tyaba, Chris Kasibayo, Semei Nyanzi, Engineer Dronyi, Henry Lubega, Joshua Zake, Emmanuel Mwanga, Major Kalugaba, Jingo, Charles Lubowa, Dr Kakande, Steven Kasigwa, John Katesigwa, Khimji, Peter Ntaki, John Sewamala,the Wilkinsons and Margaret Walker, amongst others. Lincoln Ndawula and Frederick James Luswata were known for never wearing tennis shorts – they always played in white trousers. Many of the Ugandans had previously been members of the Kampala Sports Club (patronised by the then cream of Kampala) which had been taken over by Government to construct the international conference centre in which the OAU summit was to be hosted in 1975. In around 1976 several members got together to form the Standard Club, in order to improve the management of the tennis courts. League tennis tournaments were held against other clubs in Jinja and Entebbe, as well as Makerere, the Goan Institute Club, the Sikh Club, Aga Khan Club, Namulonge Club, Clock Tower Tennis Club and the Islamic Club.
On one Independence Day, Amin heard that some Club members were playing tennis instead of attending the Independence Celebrations at Nakivubo Stadium, so he summoned them to Nakivubo. Fearing arrest, some ran away, but others went to Nakivubo and successfully explained to Amin that they were holding an Independence Tennis Tournament.
In 1979 after the overthrow of Amin, the Club members tried to claim the Club house back, but the Government said no, and handed the Club house to the Police for use as both offices, and as Officers’ mess. The current Men’s bar was the Officer’s mess, and the current meeting room and offices were used as offices by the Police accounts section. At the time, Gladys Ddungu, a squash and tennis players, was secretary of the ‘Standard club’ and incorporated the squash players into the ‘Standard club’.
On one occasion, Club members heard that Police intended to take over the Sports Bar as well as the rest of the club, so they took everything that was movable and hid it in the house of a club member behind the Fairway hotel. When the police came and saw that there was nothing to sit on but concrete benches they said they were not interested, and the members could continue to use the bar.
The police did however take the billiards table down to the ‘El Dorado’, a bar opposite Christ the King Church below the Special Branch offices. The members later tried to retrieve the table but were unfortunately unable to offer any proof that it belonged to the Kampala Club.

At some point, the tennis nets were confiscated, and Members chased away even from the tennis end. However, Susan Muwanga, daughter of the then Minister of Internal Affairs, was a club member, and the bar and nets were only returned after she intervened with her father, together with Henry Lubega and Mr. Kasule.
In the mid 80’s most of the European and American members left to join the Lugogo Tennis Club and the ARA, both of which had better facilities.
Immediately after the 1986 coup, the Club house was temporarily occupied by the army. It was used, first, as the High Command Headquarters, then for a few months, soldiers pitched tents around the premises and resided there.
Members’ utilisation of the tennis section was not directly interfered with. But, they continued to play under difficult conditions due to inadequate sanitary facilities relative to the number of soldiers residing at the premises.
After the overthrow of the Government in 1986, members started seeking for justice to regain their premises. However, there was resistance from the new government who were in fact sympathetic to the police’s continued occupation of the Club. Members’ claims to repossession was seen as unfounded since the premises were built in colonial times and had to be regarded as part of abandoned property or property which the State had a right to take over. Proprietary rights by members, who played no part in acquiring, or developing the premises, could not be imagined.
The late Dr. Samson Kiseka was persuaded by members to visit the premises. He was taken around by senior police officers in the presence of a few members including Prof Ssempebwa who pleaded the case for repossession. Dr. Kiseka was persuaded by two factors. One, the premises were in a state of neglect and disrepair, and they were underutilised. Secondly, was his conviction that government had not been a good manager of such facilities.
Despite Dr. Kiseka’s support for repossession, the Club House was not handed over. It is for this reason that a task force was formed which comprised among others, Gerald Kakuba, John Katesigwa and Prof Ssempebwa. This task force was mandated to dig up the legal aspects of the members’ claims, so as to renew the demands for repossession, or file a court case if it became necessary. At that time there were no documents at the Club regarding the ownership of the premises. The documents were found in the land offices (title deeds in the names of Kampala Club).
A case was eventually filed in at the High Court with Prof Ssempebwa as the lead lawyer. Some members (including Gerald Kakuba) gave evidence. The Court (Justice L. Kikonyogo) gave judgment in favour of the members. For this reason and the continued pressure from members, the Club House was handed over to the members in 1987.
Although some of members played a direct role, success would not have been achieved if all members in their respective public, professional and business positions had not given support.
There were no democratic elections of a Club Committee during the 70’s and 80’s and the constitution found by the incoming members was out of date. In around 1981, a committee was formed under the chairmanship of Prof Ssempebwa (Prof Tarsis Kabwegyere was another member) to draft a new Club constitution. The committee’s draft was discussed and approved at a general meeting. Mr. I. Mulindwa was immediately elected chair under the new constitution. A governing Council was also elected and from then on, decisions were again made democratically.
Ironically, the Chairman at the end of the 80’s, Ernest Kakwano was in prison at the time of his election! During his chairmanship, he was responsible for much of the restoration of the club to its former glory.

Slowly, the Government occupants moved out and at the 1991 AGM, it was announced by Professor Ssempebwa that the Kampala Club was again operating in its entirety. From then on, the post of Club manager was reinstated.

After many years of neglect, the Kampala Club was only able to undertake the necessary repairs by renting out the restaurant and rooms to a separate entity which became the current Shanghai restaurant and Shangri-la hotel. This was set up in 1991 by Mr Lin, who had moved with his father from Ghana where they ran a steel factory, and a hotel and restaurant.

The spectators’ stand at Court 5 and the kitchen on the green area were sponsored by a Club member, Mr Sentiba in 1994. He also sponsored the new floor, when it was proposed to turn the hall into a Badminton court since neither the hall or stage were being used  for functions, plays and concerts.

The health club was built in 2000. It was originally supposed to contain a gym, but was too small. The salon building was then built, again as a gym, but was also deemed to be too small so is used for the salon and massage rooms. The original swimming pool bar was subsequently expanded and renovated to accommodate the television area, with the gym and swimming pool storage below.

The glass-backed squash court was completed in 2001.

The original snooker room was turned into a business centre and has recently been renovated in 2011 with MTN sponsorship.

Monthly Friday evening social hours, with guest speakers, followed by dancing Pakalast are a popular

Sadly the library was closed in about 2000 and the books were distributed to various schools. In around 2005 the Club lost the view from the verandah and tennis courts, which is now obscured by the Imperial Royale Hotel.

Contribution of the Club to Sports in Uganda

The main sports activity has always been tennis.  The Club has been in the fore front of promoting the game not only among its members but throughout Uganda. Before Lugogo was renovated most national tournaments were hosted by the Club.  These included the Uganda Airlines Open, Barclays Handicap, UCB Open and the Uganda Open.

The Club has always encouraged the attendants at the tennis court and the other interested members of staff to learn and to play tennis without charges for membership.  As a result, many excellent players emerged to win trophies locally and in the region.  Among these is the late Serunga Kasigwa.

Some members of the Club have supported the Uganda Lawn Tennis Association in different roles such as being chairpersons of the Association.  Former such chairpersons include Henry Lubega, A. D. Ssozi, John Nagenda, P. Ntaki and Edward Ssempebwa.

Junior training programmes have been conducted at the club.

The Club has also fostered the games of Squash and Badminton.

Many national competitions have been hosted by the Club’s courts. Similarly, junior training programmes have been conducted at the Club’s courts. Members, Simon Kajubu and Simon Mugabi have played a major role in these activities;

Support staff at the courts and at the Club has been encouraged to learn and to play without the burden of membership fees.

Annual competitions in the different sports disciplines of the club are held – eg the Veterans competition, the Independence completion and the Chairman’s Cup (originally sponsored personally by the incumbent Chairman)