Kenya news update – Petrol shortage bites deep and hard
CRIPPLING FUEL SHORTAGE ATTRIBUTED TO HORDING AND PROFITEERING A major fuel crisis has once again made life in Kenya even more difficult, as besides record prizes motorists now have to drive from station to station to find the precious liquid and then often queue for hours before eventually reaching the pumps. Nairobi was particularly hard […]
Kenya conservation news update – Poachers now target collared elephant
ELEPHANT POACHERS TARGET ‘COLLARED’ ANIMALS Shocking news have emerged overnight from Kenya, where – as in many other African countries – poaching is again on the increase. In the dense forests of Mt. Kenya National Park, but even outside the official park boundaries, elephant have for times immemorial migrated through established ‘corridors’ to follow available […]
East African air travel update – Turkey eases Visa requirements
TURKISH AIRLINES CAUSE CHANGE IN VISA POLICY The Turkish national airline has reportedly prevailed upon their immigration service in changing Visa rules for African citizens, flying with Turkish from the airline’s growing network across the African continent, connecting in Istanbul for their final destination. A source close to the airline in Kampala confirmed, while discussing […]
Seychelles breaking news – Emirates Holidays crowns STB as ‘their champion’
EMIRATES HOLIDAYS CROWNS SEYCHELLES TOURIST BOARD Awards for the Seychelles seem to chase each other these days, in recognition of the outstanding value and appeal the destination now commands around the world. In India the Seychelles were given ‘Best promising destination’ as more and more passengers connect with Emirates from their Indian gateways via Dubai […]
Uganda news update – All roads lead to the Sheraton for a Turkish Food Festival
ALL ROADS LEAD TO SHERATON FOR ‘TURKISH FESTIVAL’ When the culinary mind strays to the subject of food festivals, especially here in Kampala, Oktoberfest would probably be first on the list of options, but again the Sheraton Kampala took the lead by organizing an authentic Turkish Food Week, coming up between May 16th to 21st. […]
Weekly roundup of news from the Eastern African and Indian Ocean region, First edition May 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 May 2011 Africa News SOMBRE MOOD IN NAIROBI AND DAR ON NEWS […]
East Africa news update – Osama death news received in sombre atmosphere
SOMBRE MOOD IN NAIROBI AND DAR ON NEWS OF OSAMA DEMISE Hundreds of families and thousands of friends of those who perished in the 1998 bombings of the US Embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam, as well as those of victims of other Al Qaida inspired terrorist acts in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, showed relief on […]
Seychelles news update – Royals on a Creole paradise honeymoon?
SEYCHELLES’ BEST KEPT SECRET? Information is starting to appear that the recently married royal couple of Prince William, now Duke of Cambridge and his wife Catherine, will after all enjoy their honeymoon in the tropical Creole island paradise of the Seychelles. It is understood, though not independently confirmed at this stage – even the best […]
Uganda news update – HTTI graduates nearly 600 students
HTTI STUDENTS GRADUATED – FINALLY Last week saw the graduation of several hundred students at the Hotel and Tourism Training Institute in Jinja, based at the Crested Crane Hotel. Presiding over the function was the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, Trade and Industry Ambassador Onen who stood in for his minister. HTTI was […]
Uganda news update – Parliament clears new Entebbe road highway financing
OUTGOING PARLIAMENT APPROVES FUNDING FOR NEW ENTEBBE HIGHWAY The parliamentary session in Kampala yesterday of the soon to be retired outgoing house – when it makes way for the newly elected members – made a landmark decision to approve the proposed funding for the Entebbe highway. Government is now able to conclude a loan agreement […]
Kenya tourism news update – New Tourism Bill passes final hurdle
KENYAN PARLIAMENT PASSES NEW TOURISM BILL Last weekend news reached that the parliament in Nairobi has finally voted for the new tourism bill, which will bring long overdue new regulatory bodies and a new organizational structure for the public sector of the tourism industry into place. Now only awaiting the anticipated presidential assent to make […]
East Africa news update – Inflation still rising
INFLATION KEEPS RISING The latest data released by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics makes grim reading, given another rise of month on month inflation for April to now 14.1 percent, three percent up from March and well more than double compared to even February this year. Drought related food prices, combined with the escalating cost […]
Kenya conservation news update – Ol Pejeta excells again in community relations
COMMUNITY CONSERVATION TAKEN SERIOUSLY Ol Pejeta, one of Kenya’s leading mixed conservancies – they are rearing cattle side by side with an impressive array of wildlife, including predators – has just completed another community support project, harvesting rain water. Ol Pejeta’s community outreach programme has in recent weeks distributed and installed about 40 water tanks […]
Tanzania conservation breaking news – The corridor of destruction from the coast to the lake
THE CORRIDOR OF DESTRUCTION – FROM THE COAST TO THE LAKE A fuller picture is starting to emerge about the extent of the Tanzanian government’s plans to ‘modernize’ the country on the fast track, after looking at seemingly unrelated but upon closer review very directly related and interlinked projects. When breaking the news a […]
Seychelles news update – Archipelago wins joint claim to extended sea bed
SEYCHELLES WIN JOINT CLAIM TO SEABED AREA The United Nations’ Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea has now formally recognized the claims jointly made by Seychelles and Mauritius over the ‘ownership’ of the seabed along the ‘Mascarene Plateau’, adding a total area of almost 400.000 square kilometres to the control exercised […]
Tanzania conservation news – Tourism minister speaks out against poaching
WITH POACHING IT IS FOREIGNERS TOO ‘Foreigners’ seems to be one of the key word these days in Tanzania when it comes to apportioning blame for a range of assorted crimes and society ills, as the Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism has learned too. He blamed the increase of poaching, as seen in Tanzania […]
