UWA mourns loss of a staff after Ishasha shooting incident
UWA MOURNS THE KILLING OF ONE OF THEIR STAFF BY ALLEGED CONGOLESE INTRUDERS The Uganda Wildlife Authority, and the country’s conservation and tourism fraternity, mourn the loss of one Angel Kobusheshe in the Ishasha or Southern Sector of the Queen Elizabeth National Park, which borders to the Congo DR were sporadic fighting is still going […]
Kenyan elections prompt ‘stocking up’ in Uganda and beyond
STOCKING UP FUEL AND COMMODITIES AHEAD OF KENYA ELECTIONS CAUSES SHORTAGES As the elections in Kenya are drawing nearer are Ugandans, but also the people of other hinterland countries like in South Sudan, Eastern Congo, Rwanda and Burundi stocking up on essential commodities, including fuel, driving prices for petrol and diesel further up and threatening […]
Kenya Airways and Etihad sign extensive code share and partnership deal
KENYA AIRWAYS ANNOUNCES CODESHARE DEAL WITH ETIHAD Following the progressive partnership between Abu Dhabi’s national airline Etihad and European mega carrier KLM / Air France does it come as no particular surprise, other than the timing, that Etihad has now signed an extensive codeshare deal with Kenya Airways, a SkyTeam partner in which KLM holds […]
KLM announces daily flights to Entebbe
KLM ANNOUNCES DAILY FLIGHTS BETWEEN ENTEBBE AND AMSTERDAM In breaking news has KLM in Kampala just announced that they will move to daily flights on the Entebbe – Amsterdam route, effective 05th of April this year. The news come not long after British Airways announced the withdrawal of their flights to Dar es Salaam, a […]
Africa Hotel Investment Forum returns to the Nairobi InterContinental Hotel in September
AFRICA HOTEL INVESTMENT FORUM RETURNS TO THE NAIROBI INTERCONTINENTAL September 25 and 26 were given to this correspondent from a hospitality source at the InterContinental Hotel in Nairobi, when the hugely successful Africa Hotel Investment Forum will return for the second year running to Kenya’s capital Nairobi, bringing the global hospitality giants together with smaller […]
KTDC to complete sale of InterConti, Hilton and Mt. Lodge shares by June
KENYA’S SALE OF THREE HOTEL INTERESTS TO BE CONCLUDED BY JUNE A regular source close to the Kenya Tourism Development Corporation in Nairobi has confirmed that the sale of the government’s shares in the Hotel InterContinental Nairobi, the Hilton Nairobi and the Mountain Lodge will be concluded by June this year. The co-shareholders in all […]
Air Tanzania at the brink of losing their head office building
AIR TANZANIA RISKS TO LOSE HEAD OFFICE OVER DEBT CLAIMS Information has come to light that the head office building of Air Tanzania is currently being assessed as to its value following an order by the Tanzania High Court over an outstanding debt of over 1 billion Tanzania Shillings, which the airline has failed to […]
Tanzanian government attempts to hoodwink media into giving ‘greenwashed’ information about Uranium mining
TANZANIA GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS PANIC OVER URANIUM MINING FEARS AND RUMOURS Fear appears to be spreading through the establishment in Dar es Salaam over the level of opposition to Uranium mining and its potentially toxic and perhaps even fatal side effects, prompting a mini offensive through a workshop last week for media representatives, meant to ‘clear […]
Of threats and the fools who make them
There are occasions when what I write and report about touches some raw nerves, I step on toes and ruffle feathers.As a result I have in the past gotten threats, some quite explicit and leaving no doubt what the respective individuals would do should they get their hands on me. Eritrean regime sycophants not happy […]
Second shooting of an Italian in Malindi in two weeks rocks Italian expatriate community
SECOND ARMED ATTACK ON ITALIAN TOURISTS RAISE ALARM LEVELS IN MALINDI Two armed attacks, using guns and machetes, on the Italian holiday community in Malindi, have raised the alarm of targeted violence against this Indian Ocean municipality’s most numerous visitors. The Italian Foreign Ministry issued a statement expressing their concern over the safety of their […]
Guest post by the Mombasa and Coast Tourism Association
South Coast Hotels Put On Notice by NEMA Mombasa and Coast Tourist Association has learnt that NEMA has put hotels at the South Coast on notice as majority of them operate without proper waste management facilities and end up polluting the environment through effluent discharge. Further, NEMA says it has collected evidence against the hotels […]
Desvaux sacking may lead to political fallout as PMSD executive meets today
DESVAUX SACKING MAY PROMPT POLITICAL FALLOUT The sacking of MTPA Chairman Robert Desvaux, instead of the more widely expected cleaning house starting with the CEO Karl Mootoosamy, appears to now make ripples across the PMSD party of Deputy Prime Minister Duval, since Desvaux is by many thought to be literally the right hand man of […]
Fly Dubai makes Juba its next Africa destination
FLY DUBAI SET FOR APRIL INAUGURAL TO JUBA Confirmation was received yesterday afternoon from a regular aviation source in Juba / South Sudan, that Fly Dubai, the leading LCC of the United Arab Emirates, will commence flights from 21st April this year. Initially the airline, using an exclusive fleet of B737-800 NG aircraft, will fly […]
Kenya Airways seeks extension of KLM partnership deal from competition authority in Nairobi
KENYA AIRWAYS APPLIES FOR EXTENDED IMMUNITY OVER KLM / AIR FRANCE DEAL Information was received from Nairobi that Kenya Airways has applied to the country’s competition authority for extended exemption of their partnership deals with KLM / Air France, to prevent competitors from filing complaints about elements of their joint venture agreements. The two airlines […]
Chobe Safari Lodge set to benefit from new game drive ciruits
CHOBE AREA OF MURCHISONS FALLS NATIONAL PARK GETS EXPANDED TRACK NETWORK Uganda Wildlife Authority have completed the construction of more tracks in the Chobe area of the park above the falls, giving added opportunities to see game and explore the forests nearer to the Chobe Safari Lodge. One of the two sections is approximately 10 […]
Now the Tanzanian taxman is also chasing after FastJet
FASTJET NOW TARGET OF TANZANIA’S TAXMAN TOO The bad news for FastJet just don’t seem to end as information has emerged from Dar es Salaam, that the Tanzania Revenue Authority, aka The Taxman, is now chasing down the upstart over payment of both current as well as apparent legacy debts from past operations by Fly540 […]
Yet another Chinese arrested at JKIA for possession of blood ivory
ANOTHER CHINESE BLOOD IVORY SMUGGLER NABBED AT JKIA The Jomo Kenyatta International Airport dog squad, as well as the vigilance of security personnel, are credited with the arrest of yet another Chinese citizen, who was found in Nairobi with 58 kilogrammes of blood ivory stuffed in his baggage, as he tried to check in for […]
Rwanda exceeds 2012 tourism targets
RWANDA TOURISM RAKES IN 281 MILLION US DOLLARS IN 2012 Figures just released by the Rwanda Development Board for the year 2012 show a sustained growth of tourism arrivals and revenues, when it was announced by the agency that their own projected revenues were exceeded considerably with a final bottom line of over 281 million […]
Ethiopian set to add Ho Chi Minh City, Seoul and Manila
ETHIOPIAN PLANS FOR MORE FAR EAST CONNECTIONS A source in Addis Ababa confirmed reports seen earlier on that Ethiopian, one of the leading contenders for supremacy in the African skies, will be adding three more Far East destinations with the upcoming summer flight schedule. Ho Chi Minh City, Seoul and Manila can now be booked […]
Sauti Za Busara’s 10th edition ends on high note
SAUTI ZA BUSARA ENDS ON HIGH NOTE East Africa’s – if not the continent’s – biggest and most respected music and performing arts festival Sauti Za Busara ended this evening in Zanzibar on a high note after reaching new visitor records across the 4 days the 10th anniversary edition of the festival. ‘This was the […]
Desvaux sacked as MTPA Chairman
DESVAUX SACKED FROM MTPA CHAIR WHILE HAPLESS MOOTOOSAMY REMAINS, FOR NOW Information was received yesterday that Robert Desvaux, hitherto Chairman of the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority, and reportedly a close friend of the country’s Deputy Prime Minister who sponsored him to the position, has been relieved of his duties with immediate effect. It is […]
Jetlink owners set to meet FastJet UK executives next week
JETLINK SET TO DISCUSS FUTURE COOPERATION WITH FASTJET’S UK EXECUTIVES It was learned yesterday through a regular aviation source in Nairobi, that Jetlink’s principal owners Captains Elly Aluvale and Kiran Patel will be meeting executives from Fastjet’s UK offices next week, to discuss the recently signed Mou and the way forward, which would allow FastJet […]
Weekly roundup of news from Eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean islands, Third edition February 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 breaking news updates instantly via Twitter by following @whthome join me on www.facebook.com/WolfgangHThome where the articles also ‘cross load’ or […]
A guest post from none other than Stefano Cheli, CEO of Cheli & Peacock – Enjoy
HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT SAFARI OPERATOR? Chunks of Safari Wisdom from Stefano Cheli… Dear Friends and Colleagues, For most people a Safari to Africa is more than a weekend in the country. It’s a major investment of time and money with high expectations of what the experience will be. Much the same as your […]
TCAA gives FastJet payment ultimatum
TCAA TELLS FASTJET TO PAY UP OR ELSE Inspite of denying liability for legacy debts, incurred by Fly540 Tanzania before FastJet took over that company in 2012, the trend is now clear that the Tanzanian authorities, led by the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority, are vigorously pursuing payment now and have issued FastJet’s local management with […]
Precision Air gets new CEO
SAUDA RAJAB APPOINTED NEW CEO AT PRECISION AIR When long serving CEO Alfonse Kioko retires from Precision Air at the end of February, he will be able to look back at a success story Tanzanian aviation has never seen before, taking Precision from a relatively small domestic airline to the lofty heights of a major […]
Air Mauritius announces profits for last quarter of 2012
DO AIR MAURITIUS’ PROFITS MARK TURN OF THE TIDE? Information was received from a source in Port Louis that Air Mauritius has apparently announced a profit of over 6.4 million Euros for the quarter which ended in December 2012 in group profits, which is a 10 million Euro turnaround of fortunes after suffering a 3.6 […]
FastJet raises a further 4 million pounds capital but what for?
FASTJET COMPELLED TO RAISE MORE CAPITAL Reports from a regular aviation source in the UK indicate that FastJet appears to have hurriedly raised additional capital of over 6 million US Dollars, as the no holds barred exchange of broadsides with erstwhile partner Fly540 continues unabated. Fly540 demands what now amounts to well near 8 million […]
Kenwyn House, a piece of Seychelles history at the heart of the Carnival experience
KENWYN HOUSE – A PIECE OF SEYCHELLES HISTORY IN THE HEART OF VICTORIA When the Carnaval de Carnivals parade juggernauts through the centre of Victoria, many vantage points avail themselves to capture the floats and performers through the lenses of cameras, and visitors from all over the world queue, jostle for positions and push for […]
Serengeti Highway case update following hearing before the EACJ on 23rd January
UPDATE ON SERENGETI HIGHWAY CASE BEFORE THE EAST AFRICAN COURT OF JUSTICE The legal case filed by ANEW, the African Network for Animal Welfare, before the East African Court of Justice in Arusha against the Tanzanian government, came up for mention and a so called scheduling conference on the 23rd of January and since then […]
