In pictures: Mayiga goes off grid as he holidays with wife in Ethiopia

Buganda Katikkiro Charles Peter Mayiga has taken time away from his demanding public schedule for a holiday with his wife, Margaret Mayiga, in Ethiopia.

Mayiga shared pictures from the trip on August 10, 2026, showing the couple enjoying a lush retreat away from his official engagements in Buganda.

The couple is staying at Kuriftu Resort & Spa in Bishoftu, a popular Ethiopian resort town outside Addis Ababa. The resort sits by Lake Kuriftu, one of the volcanic crater lakes for which Bishoftu is known. 

Mayiga said the break reflects lessons he learnt after becoming Katikkiro in 2013, when he spent his first three years working without taking a holiday.

“There's always a danger of working full-throttle. When I became Katikkiro in 2013, I worked three straight years without a break (including being engaged on public holidays),” Mayiga wrote.

“I left office late; mobilized the people in Buganda; engaged communities; started programs and projects; delivered speeches... It took a huge toll on me.”

Mayiga said he has since changed his approach and now completely disconnects from official duties whenever he takes a holiday.

“Now I go on holiday (and when I am on holiday, I am on holiday: no calls or messages on work related matters, or anything, including news of the death of a colleague's grandmother's neighbour far away in the village!” he wrote.

“Nothing relieves work-related stress like doing something one enjoys, especially when on holiday.”

Pictures accompanying the message show Mayiga and his wife surrounded by thick vegetation and traditional-style architecture at the lakeside retreat.

Kuriftu Resort & Spa Bishoftu is one of Ethiopia's established leisure destinations. It combines the surrounding natural landscape with accommodation, restaurants, gardens, swimming pools and wellness facilities.

The resort has about 150 rooms, including four presidential suites. It also operates three restaurants serving local and international food. 

Guests have access to two outdoor swimming pools, a sauna, steam room and spa offering treatments including massages and aromatherapy. The property also offers kayaking, a private cinema, billiards and table tennis. 

Its location has helped make it a popular escape from the Ethiopian capital. Bishoftu lies roughly 40 kilometres southeast of Addis Ababa, while the resort is about a 76-minute drive from Bole International Airport.