With Zenawi’s passing a new era is dawning on Ethiopia

ZENAWIS DEATH PLUNGES ETHIOPIA INTO UNCERTAINTY The smoke screens on Prime Minister Meles Zenawis health have finally been lifted, after many misleading statements, when the announcement just broke that he has died abroad while undergoing treatment for an unspecified illness. Zenawi, long serving strongman of Ethiopias post communist period since overthrowing Dictator Haile Mariam now […]

Coast tourism stakeholders finger government for lack of support

COAST RESORT OPERATORS BLAME GOVERNMENT FOR LACK OF VISITORS Let me be very specific here so that there is no mistake on what I say. It is the government which has denied KTB the funding needed to do the job, and although KTB should do more with the resources they have, there are limitations. Their […]

Royal Ascot Goat Races confirmed for 01st September

ANNUAL ROYAL ASCOT GOAT RACES CONFIRMED FOR SEPTEMBER 01 What started at the Kampala Rugby Club way back in 1993 as a small fundraising event, providing some family fun watching the goats to be egged on to race around a small circle, with onlookers nevertheless dressed as if indeed they had come to see Royal […]

Nature Uganda announces dates for national ‘Big Birding Day’ 2012

BIG BIRDING DAY DATES ANNOUNCED Those who love the birds of the feathered kind will be marking October 19 October 20 in their calendar, when from midnight to midnight ornithologists and hobby birders will once again swarm Ugandas best, and also the lesser known sites to collect sightings and audible identifications of as many of […]

Talodi / South Kordofan crash report update

UPDATE ON TALODI / SOUTH KORDOFAN ANTONOV CRASH (Wikipedia file photo of the Antonov 24) More information has now been received on the deadly crash yesterday in South Kordofan, where 31 passengers and crew died as the aircraft hit the side of a mountain near the main town of Talodi while attempting to land for […]

Bujagali Lake, Falls no more …

BUJAGALI LAKE FALLS NO MORE (This correspondent during a recent visit to the Nile Porch, with the new Bujagali Lake in the background) When in November 2011 the dam of the new Bujagali hydro electric power plant was finally completed and closed, the water levels of the Nile behind the dam wall immediately started to […]

Plans for Kasese and Gulu aerodrome expansion ready says UCAA

UGANDA CAA COMPLETES PLANNING FOR GULU AND KASESE AERODROME EXPANSION Planning for the expansion of two important upcountry aerodromes, Gulu in Northern Uganda and Kasese in Western Uganda, has reportedly been completed, according to information released by the organizations Corporate Communications and PR Manager Ignie Igundura. It was stated on the occasion that the cost […]

University of Seychelles enters into partnership agreements with Mauritius’ top resort groups

UNIVERSITY OF SEYCHELLES SIGNS MOUS WITH MAURITIUS RESORT GROUPS It was confirmed during the week, that the University of Seychelles has signed partnership agreements with two leading Mauritius based hospitality groups, to provide for industrial training and work place experience for their hospitality management students presently studying for their Bachelor Degree. Beachcomber Hotels, one of […]

Radar outage ‘not a problem’ according to TCAA’s Director General – REALLY

TCAA DENIES ANY DANGER TO AIR TRAFFIC AS RADAR EQUIPMENT FAILS Assurances to airlines and the aviation industry, that air operations across Tanzania were safe inspite of the failure of crucial radar equipment, sounded hollow at best and exculpatory at worst, prompting sharp comments from regular contributors from Tanzanias airlines. If the TCAA Director General […]

RwandAir’s first CRJ900 goes into the Bombardier paintshop for mid October delivery

RWANDAIRS NEW CRJ900 NOW IN PAINTSHOP AT BOMBARDIER (Picture of a CRJ900, being painted in RwandAir livery) RwandAirs first of two Bombardier CRJ900 aircraft, due for delivery in October this year, is now, that the annual factory closure for the summer holiday season is over, in the manufacturers paintshop, where in coming days it will […]

Seychelles enters fibre optic broad band era as new system goes online

SEYCHELLES FIBRE OPTIC CONNECTION NOW FULLY OPERATIONAL Visitors to the tropical Creole island paradise of the Seychelles will now be able to surf the net at full broad band speeds, made possible by the connection to the global grid via fibre optic cable. The connection, originating from the Tanzanian coast off Dar es Salaam, landed […]

Sarova Hotels Kenya sign up with B4Checkin

SAROVA HOTELS KENYA SIGN UP WITH B4CHECKIN B4Checkin has been selected by Sarova Hotels, Resorts and Game Lodges to provide communication and feedback software systems to their entire chain of hotels and lodges throughout Kenya and East Africa. The implementation of B4Checkin solutions at Sarova Hotels’ eight properties marks the company’s first African installations and […]

COMESA releases draft agenda for the Tourism Forum in Nairobi next week

COMESA TOURISM FORUM DRAFT AGENDA RELEASED COMESA, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa and the COMESA Business Council have now released the draft agenda for the upcoming Tourism Forum to be held in Nairobi / Kenya between August 22 and 24. The lineup of speakers is now largely confirmed, with some changes from […]

Emirates extends free Visa deal to their entire regional destinations

UGANDAN TRAVELERS ALSO GET SPECIAL VISA DEAL FROM EMIRATES Dubais award winning national airline, Emirates, leaves apparently no stone unturned when it comes to capturing more traffic and travelers from Uganda too will now be given a special deal for Visa in coming weeks, following the launch of the promotion in Kenya earlier in the […]

Emirates makes irresistible free Visa offer for Kenyan travellers to Dubai

KENYAN TRAVELERS GET SPECIAL VISA DEAL FROM EMIRATES Dubais award winning national airline, Emirates, leaves apparently no stone unturned when it comes to capturing more traffic and travelers from Kenya will be given a special deal for Visa in coming weeks. The airline is arranging for a 30 day free Visa for passengers in all […]

Qatar Airways adds the ‘Windy City’ as US destination number 4

QATAR AIRWAYS ADDS THE WINDY CITY AS US DESTINATION NUMBER FOUR The Worlds Five Star Airline has just announced their plans to commence daily flights between Doha and Chicago from April 10th next year onwards, bringing to four the number of US destinations served nonstop, following New York, Washington DC and Houston. The airline, already […]

MV Kaawa set to resume lake ferry service from Port Bell to Mwanza

MV KAAWA DUE TO RETURN TO FERRY DUTY (Picture courtesy New Vision file photos) ONLY 7 YEARS after colliding with MV Kabalega, which subsequently sunk into the deep of Lake Victoria, will the MV Kaawa return to service. Diddling with the pros and cons of repairs versus building a new rail ferry, the concept of […]

New routes, more frequencies announcements expected when RwandAir gets new CRJ900 jets

RWANDAIR SET TO MAKE ROUTES ANNOUNCEMENTS WHEN NEW CRJ900S ARRIVE Regular sources close to Rwandas national airline RwandAir have given the clearest indication yet that once the two ordered Bombardier CRJ900 jets have been delivered, thought to take place in October or latest November this year, the airline will almost immediately announce an increase in […]

Minister admits failure to repair Narok to Masai Mara road

MINISTER ADMITS DISMAL FAILURE AS CHINESE COMPANY SET TO FIX MARA ROAD All but admitting to have misled the Kenyan public in the past, the Minister for Roads had to eat humble pie during a public interview on one of Nairobis TV stations, when he had to reveal that the notoriously bad road between Narok […]

Poaching in Tanzania ‘completely out of hand’ according to parliamentary report

TANZANIA PARLIAMENT TOLD OF 30 POACHED ELEPHANT A DAY A report recently submitted to and discussed by parliament in Dodoma makes stark reading and confirms what has been rumoured for long, that the rate of poaching is way higher than Tanzanian officials have previously admitted. During the period between 2006 and 2009 as many as […]