CLUB SILK MEMORY LANE

Club Silk, located at Plot 15-17 First Street in the Industrial Area, was once the epic definition of Kampala's night life, that evolved from a 90s staple into a 2000s hotspot for urban beats. The iconic venue's construction started in 1992 and when it was officially opened in July 1994, became a cornerstone of Uganda's club scene for over two decades. It was founded by a group of partners that included Elvis Ssekyanzi Wavamuno, recognized as the leading figure and owner of the franchise, Aga Sekalala Jr., Steven Kavuma and Isaac Mulindwa, who brought his experience from the US to the project. Silk spanned two floors and boasted of state of the art sound systems intermingled with a brilliant visual system of plasma-screen walls, flashing sports highlights and music videos, a combination that provided the ultimate clubbing experience. It became famous for its tiered sections, Silk Royale opened in 1996, Silk Lounge opened in 2004 and Silk Oxygen in 2006, and later Silk Ocean, all of which featured different DJs, dance floors, sound systems and ambiance. It also hosted various legendary theme nights like Unplugged, Krazy Campus, Doctors & Nurses, Dance in the Dark, Caribbean Nite etc.. While Ssekyanzi maintained ownership of the brand through his firm Silk Events, even in its expansion to Liquid Silk at Village Mall in Bugolobi, opened in 2013 and another at Mogas Petrol Station in Naalya, opened in 2017, he cited high operational costs, in rent, power and taxes, along with the emergence of new popular bars in suburbs like Kyanja and Najjera, which shifted the night crowd away from not only Industrial Area, but also the new locations. All this forced him to finally close the original Club Silk in 2018, after its location had earlier been sold to the Vision Group in 2016, and both Liquid Silk outlets in 2019.