Aviation news update – Air Seychelles promotes two as B767 captains
AIR SEYCHELLES PROMOTES TWO MORE FIRST OFFICERS TO CAPTAIN’S RANKS The national airline of the Seychelles has earlier in the week promoted two long serving Seychellois first officers to the status of captains on their B767 fleet, an occasion marked by a congratulatory message from President James Michel himself. The pair, Ronnie Ah-Shung and Paul Belle, […]
Uganda news update – UWA stands firm in struggle over concession rights
KIDEPO LODGE DEAL ‘NOT IN ORDER’ As reported last year, the Uganda Wildlife Authority was given a directive from the Office of the President to hand over the derelict Grand Katarum Lodge inside the Kidepo National Park to a private developer who had found favour with the powers that be inspite of little if any proven experience of […]
Rwanda commemorates 17th anniversary of genocide
NEVER AGAIN As Rwanda commemorated the 17th anniversary of the genocide, with swept the country in April and May 1994, the message from Kigali was loud and clear: NEVER AGAIN. President Paul Kagame made it all but clear that his government would do all in their power, and be undeterred by criticism from revisionist forces […]
Aviation news update – Precision Air to double fleet over next 5 years
PRECISION AIR OUTLINES FLEET DEVELOPMENT PLANS Tanzania’s leading airline, Precision Air, has yesterday outlined their plans for the next 5 years in regard to additional aircraft acquisition. Presently operating a mixed fleet of 10 aircraft including ATR 42, ATR 72 and B737, Precision is set to more than double the number of planes on their […]
Uganda news update – The latest edition of The Eye is out
THE INSIDER’S GUIDE TO UGANDA IS OUT AGAIN The Eye, Uganda’s premier guide for what’s on and what’s up, where to go and how to get there, has just been released by the printers and is now available again at hotels, restaurants, leading shops, embassies and High Commissions and lots of other places around Kampala, […]
Uganda news update – 12th May announced as date of presidential swearing in ceremony
SWEARING IN OF PRESIDENT MUSEVENI SET FOR 12TH MAY Another public holiday is the making as it was announced that the public swearing in ceremony, due to be held at the Kololo Ceremonial Ground, aka ‘airstrip’ was set for Thursday 12th of May. A number of heads of state and heads of government from across Africa […]
Uganda news update – Kitgum gets war museum
WAR MUSEUM OPENS IN KITGUM The terrorist conduce of the ‘Lord’s Resistance Army’, aka LRA of one Joseph Kony, wanted by the International Criminal Court in The Hague for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity, is now well documented since a dedicated museum has been opened earlier in the week in Kitgum, Northern Uganda. The […]
Rhino conservation news – ‘Run for Rhinos Marathon’ London, Sunday, 17th April
RUN FOR RHINOS On Sunday, April 17th the dedicated ‘Rhino Marathon’ will be run in London to raise funds for rhino conservation projects. Another purpose is to create added awareness to the plight of rhinos, which in particular in Southern Africa have been slaughtered at an alarming rate. Last year 333 rhinos were butchered in South […]
Aviation news update – Qatar Airways to go ‘daily’ to Seychelles
QATAR AIRWAYS GOES DAILY TO SEYCHELLES Information received indicates that after Emirates decided to go double daily from Dubai to Mahe, Qatar Airways too opted to ‘up their game’ and move to daily flights between Doha and Mahe. Qatar, the self proclaimed 5star airline – travelers do seem to share this sentiment though according to web based review […]
Aviation news update – Fly 540 adds more Vipingo flights
FLY 540 ADDS EXTRA SERVICE ON VIPINGO ROUTE Information was received that Fly 540 will add an extra flight to Vipingo and Malindi effective 18th April until initially 30th of June, leaving Wilson Airport Nairobi at 4 p.m. on Mondays. Two additional flights will be put on over Easter with an extra Thursday 21st April flight […]
Seychelles news update – Tourist Board CEO advises investors
TOURIST BOARD CHIEF GUIDES INVESTORS An international investors forum in Victoria on the main Seychellois island of Mahe, benefitted from the advice of Seychelles Tourist Board Chief Executive Alain St. Ange earlier in the week, when discussing specifics of value addition and the creation of new attractions for the Creole islands. Amongst the recommendations give […]
Seychelles conservation update – Wildlife Club plays crucial role in beach conservation
WILDLIFE CLUB PLAYS CRUCIAL ROLE IN BEACH CONSERVATION The Wildlife Club of Seychelles had made an effort, jointly with officials of the environment department, to support measures against beach erosion such as replanting of trees and shrubs, erecting bollards to keep vehicles off the beach itself and educating people as to the goals of the […]
South Sudan news update – Tourism to be key economic sector for SPLM
TOURISM ‘KEY ECONOMIC SECTOR’ FOR SPLM LED POST INDEPENDENCE GOVERNMENT A week long economic review and strategy session by the SPLM’s National Secretariat on Finance and Economic Affairs took place recently in Juba / South Sudan. While all current ministries participated with presentations on the outlook of their respective sectors for the soon to be […]
Aviation breaking news – Air Seychelles drops Chennai stop
AIR SEYCHELLES DROPS CHENNAI STOP Not long after introducing Chennai as an enroute stop of the Air Seychelles flight to Singapore did news emerge yesterday that the airline was going to drop the Indian city again. It was not clear though it the failure to obtain full traffic rights as a code shared flight with their […]
Aviation breaking news – Virgin ups capacity on Nairobi route for summer
VIRGIN UPS CAPACITY ON NAIROBI ROUTE Following the upswing in demand for travel to Kenya, and from Kenya for that matter too, has Virgin just announced that they will effective ‘summer season’ this year bring a larger aircraft on the route, effectively increasing seat capacity by about 10 percent. The larger A340-600 version to be […]
Uganda conservation update – Don’t swim in Kitubulu Bay
DON’T SWIM IN KITUBULU BAY One of the favourite lake side ‘hang outs’ along the main road from Kampala to Entebbe, where the lake literally comes up to the road and where several restaurants have opened in past years, has turned into a smelly nightmare of late. Youths used to swim in the waters of […]
Uganda news update – Failed Entebbe road mega hotel complex back in headlines
CUCKOO LAND ‘HOTEL’ BACK IN HEADLINES The problem riddled and never completed hotel complex along Entebbe road, conceived by the late Joseph Behakanira – he died in February last year within a day of being interrogated by a parliamentary committee investigating CHOGM fraud allegations and subsequently by the parliamentary detach of the CID – is back in […]
Uganda conservation news update – UWA enquiry stuck over lack of funds
UWA ENQUIRY ‘STUCK OVER FUNDS’ The anticipated start of the commission of enquiry, instituted by the minister of tourism and chaired by eminent former Supreme Court Justice Kanyeihamba, has delayed according to sources in the ministry. It appears that queries have arisen over the absence of experts in certain fields, but mostly over the lack […]
Aviation breaking news – FlyDubai adds Addis Ababa
FLY DUBAI NOW SET FOR ADDIS FLIGHTS Dubai’s own low cost airline, Fly Dubai, has just announced the launch of a new destination, Addis Ababa, as it eyes further expansion into Africa. The airline, already flying to Egypt, Sudan and Djibouti, seems to gradually move further South on the continent, and the introduction of three times […]
Rwanda news update – Government freezes Libyan hotel asset
RWANDA FREEZES LIBYAN HOTEL ASSET IN KIGALI Following in the footsteps of Uganda’s decision last week to also freeze, amongst other businesses, the Laico Lake Victoria Hotel asset of the Libyan regime, Rwanda followed suit yesterday by doing the same to the Umubano Hotel in Kigali. Previously managed by such illustrious companies like Accor, the hotel was bought by […]
Kenya conservation news update – More elephant poached in Mara
MARA POACHING ATTRIBUTED TO CROSS BORDER RAIDS Overnight reports were confirmed that two more elephant had been poached near the common border with Tanzania, although the swift arrival of anti poaching rangers with tracker dogs forced the poachers to retreat towards, and more than likely across the border into the Serengeti, leaving the tusks behind. […]
Rwanda aviation news update – RwandAir signs long term agreement with Amadeus
RWANDAIR SIGNS AGREEMENT WITH AMADEUS The Rwandan national airline, RwandAir, has effective April 01st signed a comprehensive agreement with leading CRS Amadeus, concluding what has been described as successful but lengthy discussions amongst the two new partners. Amadeus commenced operations in Rwanda some 5 years ago, and Ms. Kainembabazi Sabiti,, based in Kampala, also oversees Rwanda and […]
Kenya’s plans for a new international airport near Taveta cause new spat with Tanzania
TANZANIA OBJECTS TO PLANS FOR ‘TAVETA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT’ IN KENYA East African cooperation is once again being put under the microscope over the Kenyan government’s plans to begin the planning for an international airport near the Tanzanian border at Taveta. Legislators in Tanzania and the business community there have pointed out that only a few miles […]
Uganda news update – Museum safe for now as court grants injunction
OPPONENTS OF MUSEUM DESTRUCTION CARRY THE DAY IN COURT The High Court in Kampala has granted an injunction against the planned destruction of the historically important Uganda Museum, preventing government from interfering with the building as it stands now. The controversial minister for tourism, trade and industry had some time ago announced the museum had […]
Kenya conservation news update – ‘Green sustainable power’ taking root in Kenya
TURKANA WIND POWER PROJECT CLEARS FINAL HURDLES A power project tapping into the wind, a renewable resource in this part of Kenya, is expected to break ground later this year. The green power project will be the second significant one of its kind in Kenya, with the first one erected on the Ngong Hills outside […]
Weekly news roundup from Eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean region, First edition April 2011
TOURISM, AVIATION AND CONSERVATION NEWS from the Eastern African and Indian Ocean region A weekly roundup of reports, travel stories and opinions by Prof. Dr. Wolfgang H. Thome Get daily breaking news updates via Twitter @whthome or on my blog: www.wolfganghthome.wordpress.com First edition April 2011 NEW TRAVEL AFRICA MAGAZINE ‘SPRING EDITION’ IS OUT […]
Rwanda news update – Libyan owned RwandaTel mobile network gets closure notice
LIBYAN TELECOM INVESTMENT IN RWANDA FACES AXE The Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority, in short RURA, has cancelled the Libyan owned RwandaTel mobile license, following a series of prior warnings over alleged non performance and infringements of license terms and conditions, effective this Friday, 08th April midnight. Nearly 600.000 subscribers will be affected, should last minute appeals fail to […]
Aviation news update – Kenya Airways ‘zooming in’ on B737 freighter
KENYA AIRWAYS ZOOMING IN ON B737 FREIGHTER Information is gradually emerging from Nairobi on the plans of Kenya Airways to acquire a cargo aircraft by late Q3 or early Q4 of 2011. It is understood that a team of the airline is presently sourcing for a B737 converted freighter, which can take palletised cargo on board and feed […]
Kenya conservation news update – Game reserve demarcation prompts protests
GAME RESERVE DEMARCATION PROMPTS LOCAL PROTESTS / LAND CLAIMS When surveyors tasked by the Kenya Wildlife Service began demarcating the boundaries of the Lake Kamnarok game reserve in Baringo county, they spurred a series of meetings amongst area residents. Demands were formulated by as many as 1.000 families laying down claims to land KWS considers as part […]
Aviation news update – Kinshasa crash of UN chartered plane claims 32 lives
UN CHARTERED PLANE CRASHES IN KINSHASA News overnight put the death toll of the latest air crash in Congo to now 32 out of a reported 33 on board, with several survivors initially pulled from wreckage of the UN chartered plane then later passing away in hospital due to severe injuries sustained. The jet crashed […]
