Crackdown on Zanzibar radicals and militants continues
ZANZIBAR CRACKDOWN CONTINUES TO NET MORE EXTREMISTS Information from a regular tourism source on the Spice Island of Zanzibar indicates that security forces, since the last outbreak of extremist militant violence which also spread to Dar es Salaam a few weeks ago, continue to hunt for known participants and sympathizers of the banned Uamsho group, […]
Rafting for Rhinos 2012 – next weekend on the Nile
RAFTING FOR RHINOS ON NOVEMBER 10TH Next Saturday will see the ‘Rafting for Rhinos’ race take place on the upper Nile, where corporate and individual teams will compete against each others for the honours of raising the most money for the Rhino Fund Uganda, which operates the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary half way between Kampala and […]
Virgin now eyes Dar es Salaam only weeks after dropping Nairobi
VIRGIN HEADING TO DAR ES SALAAM Breaking News 6 weeks after leaving Nairobi, for a number of reasons given in public none of which at the time made much sense, are news just breaking that Virgin will be flying to Dar es Salaam from early 2013, very likely in combination with a stop at Kilimanjaro. […]
Likoni ferry services resume after temporary agreement between unions and management
FERRY WORKERS RESUME DUTY It has been confirmed from a regular source in Mombasa that the workers of the Kenya Ferry Service have resumed duty and ferry services are underway, clearing the backlog of traffic as this information us uploaded. Confirmation is still outstanding though that ALL issues between the union and management have been […]
Serena’s Kirawira makes it into Conde Nast’s Platinum Circle
SERENA BAGS MORE CONDE NAST HONOURS Serena’s Kirawira Camp in the Grumeti Sector of the Serengeti has made it into Conde Nast’s Platinum Circle into which only properties with the highest marks are added. The Platinum Circle by Conde Nast was launched to celebrate 25 years of Conde Nast Traveler and only properties have been […]
Likoni Ferry operations disrupted by renewed strike action
WORKERS DOWN TOOLS TO CRIPPLE FERRY OPERATIONS In breaking news it was learned yesterday morning that the ferries at the Likoni Channel, linking the island of Mombasa with the South Coast, had been grounded by striking workers, as the union and management had apparently failed to reach an agreement over wage increases and other benefits […]
Ferry services down again at Likoni
LIKONI FERRIES DOWN In breaking news it was learned that the ferries at the Likoni Channel, linking the island of Mombasa with the South Coast, were out of operation this morning, leaving hundreds of tourists and thousands of commuters stranded at both sides of the channel. No immediate cause of the halt of operations was […]
Ethiopian Airlines signs lease deal with ILFC for 3 more B787
ETHIOPIAN ADDS THREE MORE B787 VIA ILFC LEASE A regular source close to Ethiopian Airlines in Addis Ababa has just confirmed that the airline has yesterday signed a deal with ILFC for the lease of three B787 Dreamliner aircraft, over and above the already 10 on firm order with Boeing directly. All three aircraft are […]
Kenya Airways releases second quarter results
KENYA AIRWAYS RELEASES SECOND QUARTER RESULTS The Pride of Africa has yesterday released the operating results for their second quarter, which ended on 30th September, showing a mixed bag of results but also underscoring the urgency of cost saving measures introduced in recent weeks by management. Capacity to the airline’s markets in Europe shrank by […]
More poachers killed as Kiprono starts his term as CEO with a bang
KIPRONO STARTS HIS KWS SERVICE WITH A BANG William Kiprono, only in office for a short while as CEO of Kenya Wildlife Service, has certainly started his reign at the helm with a bang, pun intended, when his troops on the ground engaged with poachers in a series of incidents, the latest of which cost […]
KenGen diversifies into tourism with new venture at Olkaria
POWER COMPANY SET TO INVEST IN TOURISM VENTURE AT HELLS GATE NATIONAL PARK The Kenya Electricity Generating Company, in short known as KenGen, is in the process of diversifying its portfolio with the entry into the tourism industry. Located near Hells Gate National Park, a Kenya Wildlife Service managed adventure park at the bottom of […]
A guest post from the Mombasa and Coast Tourist Association
Coast Tourism Sector Hopes That the Lamu Cultural Festival Will Provide the Much Needed Boost Tourism players at the Coast are hoping to make the best out of the upcoming 12th Lamu Cultural Festival. The Lamu Cultural Festivalis slated to go down as from the 15th to 18th November. It is the hope and prayer […]
Mauritius under the spotlight for primate exports to overseas labs
PRIMATE SHIPMENTS TO OVERSEAS LABORATORIES SHOCK CONSERVATIONISTS Recent reports from Mauritius were far from being a pleasure, pun fully intended, when the stark news became known that the island exports about 10.000 primates a year to laboratories in the UK, the US and other parts of Europe, perhaps even beyond, where the animals are subjected […]
Plans for commuter rail between JKIA and Nairobi city centre are advancing
17 SUBMIT BIDS FOR RAIL LINK BETWEEN JKIA AND CITY Kenya Railways has confirmed the receipt of 17 bids for prequalification for the planned commuter railway link between the city and Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. The project, aimed to bring relief to airline passengers as well as commuters into and out of the city, will […]
Sections of tourism stakeholders say Mwazo not welcome at WTM
STAY AWAY FROM WTM STAKEHOLDERS DEMAND OF MWAZO Kenya’s hapless tourism minister Danson Mwazo will be facing thinly concealed hostility from his own tourism private sector, should he opt to travel to London for the forthcoming World Travel Market, besides the ITB in Berlin the most important tourism trade show in the world. His most […]
UAE considers to strike back at Ethiopia after Etihad’s permits withheld
Anger in Abu Dhabi over Ethiopian refusal to let flag carrier commence flights A regular Gulf aviation source has let it drop that anger is boiling over in the UAE capital of Abu Dhabi, after it was learned that the Ethiopian authorities have withheld approvals for Etihad to commence flights, due to start on November […]
More woes for 540 Kenya as sacked staff demand bosses to be sacked too
Opposition grows against Fly 540 Kenya managers The unceremonious sacking of a number of staff by Fly 540 management once again highlighted the woes that company has, facing law suits by creditors, by former staff and increasingly by the media on the prowl to expose the dark secrets which have until now been kept under […]
Sandy disrupts safaris as clients stuck in the States with no flights
EAST AFRICA COUNTS LOSSES CAUSED BY SANDY The fallout of monster storm Sandy, which has hit the Eastern seaboard of the United States two days ago and left a wide path of destruction behind as it moved in-land, has also had repercussions here in East Africa, as tourists booked to arrive over the past days, […]
Muriithi Ndegwa reappointed as KTB CEO by Kenya’s Head of Civil Service
MURIITHI NDEGWA MAKES COME BACK News just broke that the Head of Civil Service in Kenya Francis Kimemia has re-appointed Mr. Muriithi Ndegwa as CEO of the Kenya Tourist Board with immediate effect, reversing the sacking order by increasingly under pressure Danson Mwazo, who in his capacity as Minister for Tourism openly defied the Board […]
Kenya Airways starts to convert B737-300 into freighters
5Y-KQC TO LEAVE SERVICE TO BECOME KENYA AIRWAYS’ FIRST B737 FREIGHTER Kenya Airways has confirmed that the airline will convert their older B737-300 models presently in passenger service into freighter aircraft, starting with 5Y-KQC being withdrawn within the next few days and then flown to China, where the conversion into a cargo plane, side door […]
New airport plans for Istanbul to provide for growth of Turkish Airlines
NEW ISTANBUL AIRPORT TO CEMENT TURKISH AIRLINE’S HUB POSITION When news broke that Turkish Airlines was set to connect some 30 African destinations by the end of this year, moving to 40 by the end of 2013, many had to check back to be certain of the accuracy of the statement at the time, but […]
More blood ivory seized in Tanzania
MORE BLOOD IVORY IMPOUNDED IN TANZANIA The seizure yesterday of 214 tusks and the arrest of initially three suspects rocked Tanzania’s conservation fraternity, only days after a shipment, allegedly coming from the port of Dar es Salaam, was impounded by Hong Kong customs officers in a record haul. Poaching, according to a recent parliamentary report, […]
RDB enters phase two of grading and classification of hospitality businesses
RDB LAUNCHES SECOND PHASE OF GRADING AND CLASSIFICATION OF HOTELS Information was received from Kigali overnight that the Rwanda Development Board’s Tourism and Conservation Department is now embarking on phase two of the ongoing grading and classification of hotels, lodges, resorts and restaurants. Over 60 hotel managers and owners were last week gathering in Kigali, […]
Kenya Airways set to add four more flights to Johannesburg but loses LLW – LUS rights
KENYA AIRWAYS ADDS JOHANNESBURG FLIGHTS WHILE LOSING LLW – LUS RIGHTS The Pride of Africa is set to significantly increase flights between Kenya and South Africa from December onwards, when one of the airline’s recently acquired Embraer E190 jets will be used on the route to add four more flights, increasing capacity from presently […]
A guest post from Mike Rainy, one of Kenya’s old hands and safari specialist par excellence …
Posters $10 each Proceeds go toward protecting wildlife habitat in East Africa – Thanks for your support ! Great Migration Safari Poster #1 Great Migration Safari Poster #2 17" (43cm) x 11" (28cm) 17" (43cm) x 11" (28cm) Great Migration Safari Poster #3 Great Migration Safari Poster #4 17" (43cm) x 11" (28cm) 17" (43cm) […]
Stiegler’s Gorge spared for now as Mnyera Falls get nod for new hydro power plant
SELOUS SPARED FOR NOW AS MNYERA FALLS TARGETTED FIRST FOR HYDRO POWER A usually impeccable source has confirmed that the Tanzanian government has signed a loan and finance deal with Brazil, aimed to construct a 700 MW facility near Mnyera Falls. The cost of an estimated 1 billion US Dollars will be fully advance financed […]
Weekly roundup of news from Eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean islands, Fifth edition October 2012
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/WolfgangHThomewhere the articles also ‘cross load’ or read […]
Tanzanian Deputy Minister’s remarks send hospitality investors into panic
THREAT OF PLOT REPOSSESSION SENDS HOSPITALITY INVESTORS INTO PANIC Tanzania’s love and hate affair with investors seems to periodically rear its ugly head, as seen again last week, when the deputy minister for natural resources and tourism’s utterances sent investors in the hospitality industry into a state of shock. Nyalandu Lazaro demanded to know why […]
Kigali Serena staff plant trees while doing their Umuganda duty
KIGALI SERENA STAFF PLANT TREES WHILE PARTICIPATING IN UMUGANDA Every last Saturday of the month are Rwandans out in force to clean up their neighbourhoods or else engage in community development projects under a scheme known as Umuganda. This last Saturday of October though was different for staff from the Kigali Serena Hotel, as […]
African fashion – and update from the amazing Mustafa Hassanali, yes, the one and only of Swahili Fashion Week
Pan African designer, Mustafa Hassanali pursues fashion as areligion. Being Tanzania’s premier and most celebrated wedding and evening gown designer. With an A-list clientele,Hassanali is considered a fashion guru. This Collection is named Afrilaal Collection. “Afri” a short from of Africa and “Laal” Hindi for Colour red summates however vast and varied Africa is but […]
