Major fire reported from JKIA in Nairobi
BREAKING NEWS – MAJOR FIRE AT NAIROBI’S JOMO KENYATTA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (Posted 07th August 2013 05.55 hrs) Reports are coming in through the Kenya Red Cross, the country’s foremost emergency response organization, that a major fire is raging at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. Courtesy of twitter picture via this tweet: ‘FIRE reported at Jomo Kenyatta […]
Britain denies Christian Youth Brigade leaders Visa to attend global convention
WHAT MESSAGE DOES BRITAIN SEND TO THE WORLD BY DENYING YOUTH LEADERS ENTRY (Posted 07th August 2013) (Soiled image, pun fully intended) Britain’s image in Africa is getting increasingly negative, as the latest denial of entry for groups of youth leaders from Eastern Africa has once more stirred emotions against the former colonial power. Ugandan, […]
UWA lowers gorilla tracking fees for November 2013
UWA OFFERS SPECIAL ‘NOVEMBER ONLY’ DEAL FOR GORILLA TRACKING (Posted 07th August 2013) Anyone wanting to track gorillas in Uganda’s two national parks where they are found, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and Mgahinga, are in for a surprise, should they plan to visit The Pearl of Africa in November this year. The Uganda Wildlife Authority has […]
UCOTA turns 15
In recognition of the work done by the Uganda Community Tourism Organization, in short UCOTA, which is now turning 15 (already, time flies), I am re-broadcasting their latest news letter to showcase the scope of their work done across rural Uganda and how to involve, AND benefit, ordinary Ugandans through tourism related activities. Happy Birthday […]
Routes seeks most influential aviation geek bloggers and tweeps
ROUTES ONLINE SEEKS TOP 100 AVIATION GEEK BLOGGERS (Posted 07th August 2013) Routes has commenced the search for the 100 most influential aviation geek bloggers on Twitter with a hashtag campaign marked as #AvGeek100 Nominations are invited by the aviation community to determine whom we should follow, who cuts through the industry spin […]
Brussels Airlines comes up with sponsorship for Uganda UK Convention
BRUSSELS AIRLINES STEPS UP TO SPONSOR THE UGANDA UK CONVENTION (Posted 07th August 2013) The UK – Ugandan Trade and Investment Forum and the 03rd Uganda UK Convention, set for the 14th of September has received generous sponsorship from Brussels Airlines, it was announced yesterday. The airline has made special fares available for attendees from […]
Lion encounters in the Masai Mara …
As done recently with a Porini feature rebroadcast here, this latest of their exploits equally caught my eye … and I am more than happy to share it with my readers … Enjoy! Amazing lion encounter – it’s July in the Mara By Porini Camps on July 26, 2013 The cold has crept in with […]
President Kenyatta reassures tourism industry over budget concerns
PRESIDENT KENYATTA ASSURES TOURISM SECTOR OF 3 BILLION BUDGET (Posted 06th August 2013) President Kenyatta took time out to see the great migration over the weekend, when he visited the Masai Mara Game Reserve in the company of Phyllis Kandie, Cabinet Secretary for East African Affairs, Commerce and Tourism, the ministry’s PS Mohammed Ibrahim and […]
Fuel problems ground flights at JKIA Nairobi
JKIA HIT BY FUEL SHORTAGE AS PUMP SYSTEM FAILS (Posted 06th August 2013) Airlines flying into Jomo Kenyatta International Airport yesterday afternoon were faced with a ‘Sorry, no fuel’ announcement, after a problem in the pipeline and hydrants of the airport prevented JetA1 fuel from being discharged. Among the hundreds of affected passengers was the […]
Uganda’s tourism income for 2012 exceeds 1 billion US Dollars
UGANDA’S 2012 TOURISM REVENUES PEGGED AT A BILLION US DOLLARS (Posted 06th August 2013) Figures just published put Uganda’s tourism earnings to over 1 billion US Dollars, significantly up from 2011 when estimates put tourism income to over 800 million US Dollars. The data are contained in a World Bank report which focused on a […]
The Tribe Hotel gets posh car fleet to add value for guests
TRIBE HOTEL INTRODUCES NEW RANGE OF LUXURY VEHICLES FOR CLIENT TRANSPORT (Posted 06th August 2013) One of Nairobi’s finest privately owned hotels, The Tribe, has just introduced a new fleet of upmarket vehicles, used to provide airport transfers for guests but also to give them chauffer driven services in cars commensurate with their status as […]
Of trials and tribulations when visiting Tanzania
This article in the news broadcast by In2EastAfrica deserves to get some wider publicity, as it reflects on constant murmurs of similar treatment, of travellers arriving and leaving from Tanzania. This correspondent in fact recalls an incident in the 1980’s,when PTA currency unit travellers cheques were an accepted way of payment across Eastern Africa, except […]
Kenya set to launch new elite anti poaching unit
KENYA LAUNCHES A NEW ELITE ANTI POACHING UNIT (Posted 06th August 2013) Sources from within Kenya’s conservation fraternity have confirmed that a new elite anti poaching unit has been launched at a time when key amendments to the current Wildlife Act are discussed in the national assembly. KWS Executive Director Kiprono has in fact suggested […]
Bashir’s plane turned back over Saudi Arabia as authorities deny overflight permission
THE DOWNSIDE OF AIRTRAVEL WHEN YOU ARE AN ICC FUGITIVE (Posted 05th August 2013) Saudi Arabia blocked its airspace for Sudanese regime leader Hassan Al Bashir, when he tried to fly late last week to Tehran for the swearing in ceremony of their recently elected president. This is the second case in a month, after […]
Ngamba gets TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence
NGAMBA ISLAND EARNS TRIP ADVISOR RECOGNITION (Posted 05th August 2013) Uganda’s renowned chimpanzee sanctuary island, Ngamba, has narrowly missed getting a full 5 star rating by TripAdvisor, when they earned their Certificate of Excellence for 2013. Home to over 40 chimps for the past 15 years, most rescued from illegal traders or found at the […]
Air Seychelles and Air Berlin expand code share agreements
AIR SEYCHELLES EXPANDS CODESHARE WITH AIR BERLIN (Posted 05th August 2013) Air Seychelles partnership with Etihad, Abu Dhabi’s national airline, has been paying off in many ways, profitability included, and allowed the Seychelles’ national airline to tap into markets and locations previously unimaginable for a small Indian Ocean airline. The already existing codeshare arrangement with […]
Weekly roundup of news from Eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean region, First edition August 2013
AVIATION, TOURISM AND CONSERVATION NEWS from Eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean islands. A weekly roundup of breaking news, reports, travel stories and opinions by Prof. Dr. Wolfgang H. Thome You can get your daily news updates instantly via Twitter by following @whthome or join me on www.facebook.com/WolfgangHThome where the articles also ‘cross load’. Read […]
One month to go for Singapore flights by Ethiopian Airlines
A MONTH TO GO TO THE LAUNCH OF SINGAPORE FLIGHTS BY ETHIOPIAN (Posted 04th August 2013) Ethiopian Airlines will in exactly one month from now commence their service from Addis Ababa to Singapore, in conjunction with Bangkok, which will open up the African continent for a number of new source markets from the South East […]
Government reorganization sees split of tourism and wildlife in Juba
GOVERNMENT RESHUFFLE SEES SPLIT OF WILDLIFE CONSERVATION AND TOURISM (Posted 04th August 2013) The recent sacking of the South Sudan cabinet paved the way to reorganize the government and implement sharp cost saving measures by reducing the number of ministries to only 18, from previously twice that number. In the process however it appears that […]
99 and counting – Battlefield East Africa
99 YEARS AND COUNTING – BATTLEFIELD EAST AFRICA (Posted 04th August 2013) When the guns opened up in Europe 99 years ago, on 28th July 1914, their thunder signaling the start of the Great War, later known as World War I, the German cruiser Koenigsberg on 31st of July slipped out of the harbour of […]
Rwanda, Kenya and Uganda set to fast track common tourist Visa
RWANDA, KENYA AND UGANDA FAST TRACK MOVEMENT OF PEOPLE AND TOURISTS (Posted 03rd August 2013) In a departure from norm, and clearly as a sign of growing frustration with EAC partners putting the brakes on key developments which could push the East African Community forward, have Rwanda, Kenya and Uganda taken steps to ensure that […]
Bride and Groom Fair visited by thousands of aspiring couples
BRIDE AND GROOM EXHIBITION DRAWS IN HOTELS, RESORTS AND LODGES (Posted 03rd August 2013) Uganda’s fifth Bride and Groom Expo at the Uganda Manufacturers Association showground has again drawn thousands of visitors, keen to see what the over 100 exhibitors and service providers had to showcase, to make that dream wedding become a reality. Participation […]
Japanese Week at Kampala Serena a sell out
SERENA’S JAPANESE WEEK A RECORD BUSTING SELL OUT (Posted 03rd August 2013) Few hotels in Kampala take the trouble to bring in visiting chefs, periodically the Sheraton and more often the Kampala Serena, and when they do, one can be sure of a scramble for tables to sample the dishes they create, the exotic tastes, […]
All things Porini …
Reproduced here with the kind permission of Porini Safari Camps and Gamewatchers Safaris July 2013 Dear Dr. Wolfgang, Greetings Porini Enthusiast! The grass is brittle, the rivers are flowing. The currents are rushing, the ground is shaking. I can hear them. They are restless. They wait around in uneasy circles, look out into the endless […]
Emirates set for double daily Amsterdam services come December
EMIRATES ANNOUNCES SECOND DAILY AMSTERDAM FLIGHT (Posted 02nd August 2013) Emirates has just announced that effective 04th of December they will add a second daily nonstop frequency from Dubai to Amsterdam, using a B777-200LR aircraft with 8 seats in First Class, 42 seats in Business class, 216 seeats in Economy class and 17 tons of […]
Kempinski Nairobi finally opens its doors to the public
KEMPINSKI VILLA ROSA IN NAIROBI ENTERS SOFT OPENING STAGE (Posted 02nd August 2013) The new Villa Rosa Kempinski in Nairobi has yesterday finally opened its doors to the general public, after a series of delays had pushed this date further down the line than the management had anticipated. While the traditional 100 days soft opening […]
RwandAir postpones Juba launch to September
RWANDAIR PUSHES START OF JUBA FLIGHTS TO SEPTEMBER (Posted 02nd August 2013) RwandAir yesterday evening announced that the anticipated start of their flights to Juba, expected to be operated in conjunction with one of their three daily flights to Entebbe, has been postponed to next month, presently set for 03rd of September. When commenting on […]
KAA employs cloak and dagger methods in hooligan like grab of duty free complex
KENYA AIRPORT AUTHORITY ACCUSED TO PLAY ALI BABA WITH DUTY FREE SHOP (Posted 01st August 2013) News of a cloak and dagger raid on Jomo Kenyatta’s main duty free shop in the early hours of today, starting reportedly not long after midnight, has shaken observers and a number of regular sources at Kenya’s main airport, […]
Air Mauritius reports increase in revenues but still writes red figures
AIR MAURITIUS LOSS MAKING SPELL MAY BE ENDING (Posted 01st August 2013) The reported losses of 33.87 million Euros for the last financial year (2012) of Air Mauritius have now been put in some perspective as the airline recently reported an increase in revenues by 33.9 million Euros, giving hope that the tide has finally […]
Bottom line for KHTF and HotelSummitEastAfrica: A resounding success
HOTEL SUMMIT EAST AFRICA BEATS EXPECTATIONS (Posted 01st August 2013) The recently concluded Hotel Summit East Africa, run in conjunction with the Kenya Hospitality Trade Fair, was in its inaugural edition termed a resounding success with over 150 participants from Kenya and the region, including nearly 20 Ugandan participants led by the chairman of the […]
