The management of Château Le Marara has denied allegations of poor service, claiming that those making the accusations are refusing to settle over RWF 5 million in additional charges.
The lakefront hotel in Karongi District has been under intense scrutiny on social media for two days following a wedding held there on Monday, July 14, 2025, celebrating Hajji Musemakweli and Uwera Bonnette.
Miss Rwanda 2020, Nishimwe Naomie, publicly criticized the hotel, lamenting:
“It is saddening to see institutions offering poor service yet choosing to rewrite the narrative instead of admitting mistakes and apologizing.”
Uwera’s sibling, Josine Queen, detailed on Instagram complaints that included overcharge well above standard rates, extra fees for services, poor and overpriced food, inattentive staff, filth, and other issues.
Musemakweli and Uwera also sent a formal complaint to Château Le Marara, listing service failures: frequent power outages with no backup generator, uninvestigated guest concerns, service below expected standard, price changes without notice, uncleanliness, breach of agreement, and overall subpar quality.
They demanded:
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Full refund of one night’s stay for all guests as compensation for negligence and poor management.
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40% refund on catering charges given that the food quality—and their reputations—had suffered, considering their guest list included over 40 high-profile invitees and 6+ million followers across social platforms.
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An official apology letter, acknowledging all logistical and service failures.
In response, Château Le Marara’s management accused the couple of leaving outstanding charges totaling over RWF 5 million on top of the RWF 40 million already paid.
The hotel disputed the power cut claims:
“Although there was a brief regional outage on the evening of July 3, our team restored power swiftly and services promptly resumed. Records show food and beverages were continuously served.”
They added that no written or formal agreements were made with Dr. Christian Marara to discount food and beverage prices, nor were there discussions with Madam Solange Bayingana—who also denied any negotiations took place.
On the matter of guest numbers, while the couple mentioned 200 invitees, the hotel counted 322 attendees, suggesting the couple is downplaying their bill.
“We stand by the agreed terms. If outstanding payments are made promptly, we can avoid legal action,” the hotel said.
The Rwanda Development Board, the Private Sector Federation, and the Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) have all confirmed they are now investigating the matter.
