Impala Hotel Group
Corporate brand
UnclaimedA Tanzanian hotel group that operated properties in and around Arusha before closing after the death of its founder and accumulating substantial debts.
Last updated August 31, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile yet.
Overview
Impala Hotel Group was a hotel chain based in northern Tanzania and associated with the Arusha hospitality market. Its corporate parent was Kijenge Estates, a company founded in 1988 by A.M. Mrema. The group developed a small portfolio of properties serving visitors to Arusha and the surrounding tourism destinations, including Mount Meru and the Momella area. The group's best-known property was the Impala Hotel in central Arusha. The hotel opened in 1998 and became one of the city's most popular hotels. Its central location made it a prominent accommodation and events venue in Arusha, a major gateway for travel to northern Tanzania's safari and mountain-tourism circuits. The group later expanded beyond the original city hotel. In 2003 it opened Ngurdoto Mount Lodge at Momella, and in 2008 it opened Naura Springs Hotel in the Sanawari neighbourhood of Arusha. At its peak, the group therefore operated hotels in three locations. Impala Hotel Group's history was closely linked to A.M. Mrema and Kijenge Estates. After Mrema died in August 2017, the group's principal flagship property ultimately closed in 2019. The closure marked a major contraction of the operating business and left former employees with unpaid salary claims. By 2021, the group had accumulated substantial debts. Tanzania's Labour Court ordered the sale of various group assets in February and again in September 2021 to meet salary arrears owed to 238 former employees. The Impala Hotel was subsequently reported to have been sold to Ahmed Shabiby, who operates Shabiby buses. The property was refurbished and was expected to reopen in 2025, but the available reference material does not establish whether that reopening occurred or whether the reopened property continued to use the Impala Hotel Group brand. The group should therefore be treated as defunct or no longer operating as the hotel chain described in its historical records. Its legacy is primarily that of a locally significant Arusha hotel operator whose portfolio reflected the growth of northern Tanzania's tourism economy, followed by financial distress, asset sales, and the loss of its central flagship.
History
Impala Hotel Group was a northern Tanzanian hotel chain linked to Kijenge Estates. Kijenge Estates was founded in 1988 by A.M. Mrema, who became the central figure associated with the group's development. The available historical record does not specify the exact year in which Impala Hotel Group itself was established, but it documents the opening of three principal properties over the following decades. The first and most important property was the Impala Hotel in central Arusha, which opened in 1998. Arusha is a major commercial and tourism centre in northern Tanzania, and the hotel's central position helped it become a prominent accommodation venue in the city. The property was described as having once been the most popular hotel in Arusha City, giving the group a visible position in the local hospitality industry. The group expanded its portfolio in 2003 with the opening of Ngurdoto Mount Lodge at Momella. This property broadened the group's presence beyond the urban core and connected its business more directly with the tourism geography around Arusha. In 2008, the group opened Naura Springs Hotel in the Sanawari neighbourhood of Arusha. At its peak, the group consequently operated hotels in Arusha and at Momella, with three documented locations in total. The later history of the group was marked by leadership disruption and financial decline. A.M. Mrema died in August 2017. The Impala Hotel subsequently closed in 2019, although the reference material does not provide a detailed account of the ownership or management changes between Mrema's death and the closure. By 2021, the group had accumulated substantial debts. Former employees pursued claims for unpaid salaries, and the Labour Court ordered the sale of various assets in February and September of that year. The orders were intended to satisfy salary arrears owed to 238 former employees. The Impala Hotel was later reported to have been sold to Ahmed Shabiby, who operates Shabiby buses. The property was refurbished and was due to reopen in 2025. The available sources do not confirm the result of that reopening, the final ownership structure of the property, or whether it continued operating under the Impala Hotel Group identity. Accordingly, the historical hotel group is best described as defunct or no longer operating in its former form. Its documented trajectory runs from the creation of a locally rooted hospitality portfolio in northern Tanzania, through the development of a well-known Arusha flagship, to closure, debt-related court proceedings, employee claims, and the reported transfer of the flagship property.
- 2025
Reported target for refurbished hotel reopening
[1]The former Impala Hotel was reported to have been refurbished after its sale and due to reopen in 2025; the available source does not confirm the outcome.
- 2021
Labour Court orders asset sales
[1]Court orders issued in February and September directed the sale of group assets to pay salary arrears owed to 238 former employees.
- 2019
Impala Hotel closes
[1]The flagship Impala Hotel closed following the period after Mrema's death.
- 2017
A.M. Mrema dies
[1]A.M. Mrema, the founder of the group's parent company and its principal associated figure, died in August.
- 2008
Naura Springs Hotel opens
[1]Naura Springs Hotel opened in Arusha's Sanawari neighbourhood, bringing the documented portfolio to three properties.
- 2003
Ngurdoto Mount Lodge opens
[1]The group opened Ngurdoto Mount Lodge at Momella, expanding its lodging portfolio beyond central Arusha.
- 1998
Impala Hotel opens in Arusha
[1]The group's flagship Impala Hotel opened in central Arusha and later became one of the city's best-known hotels.
- 1988
Kijenge Estates is founded
[1]A.M. Mrema founded Kijenge Estates, the parent company associated with Impala Hotel Group.
Products and positioning
A locally established northern Tanzanian hotel group serving Arusha visitors, tourism traffic, and regional hospitality demand.
City hotel · 1998
Impala Hotel
The group's flagship property in central Arusha opened in 1998 and was once described as the most popular hotel in Arusha City. It was the brand's principal urban lodging and hospitality venue until it closed in 2019. The property was later reportedly sold, refurbished, and scheduled for a possible reopening under subsequent ownership.
Lodge · 2003
Ngurdoto Mount Lodge
Ngurdoto Mount Lodge opened at Momella in 2003 and represented the group's expansion into a more tourism-oriented setting outside central Arusha. The available reference material identifies it as one of the group's three principal properties but does not provide later operating or ownership details.
Neighbourhood hotel · 2008
Naura Springs Hotel
Naura Springs Hotel opened in 2008 in the Sanawari neighbourhood of Arusha. It formed part of the group's urban Arusha portfolio and helped bring the number of documented group properties to three. Detailed information about its facilities, subsequent management, and final operating status is not available in the reference material.
Brand decisions
2021
Reported sale of the Impala HotelM&ABackground
The flagship hotel had closed and the group was facing substantial debts and court-ordered enforcement related to unpaid employee wages.
Action taken
The Impala Hotel was reportedly sold to Ahmed Shabiby, the operator of Shabiby buses, who refurbished the property.
Aftermath
The hotel was expected to reopen in 2025, but the available source does not confirm whether the reopening occurred or whether the Impala Hotel Group brand continued.
2021
Asset sales ordered to address employee claimsOtherBackground
By 2021, the group had accumulated substantial debts and former employees were owed salary arrears.
Action taken
The Labour Court ordered the sale of various group assets in February and September to pay arrears owed to 238 former employees.
Aftermath
The orders documented the group's severe financial distress and contributed to the end of its operation as a consolidated hotel chain.
Sources1 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/impala-hotel-group · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled