Uganda news update – Tourism Minister rubbishes Kanyeihamba report
TOURISM MINISTER CALLS KANYEIHAMBA A FAILURE Recently returned from attending the World Travel Market in London did Ugandas Minister of Tourism Prof. Ephraim Kamuntu finally speak out on the controversial report of the commission of enquiry, scripted by equally controversial retired Supreme Court justice George Kanyeihamba. The minister, cited in the report allegedly as a […]
Uganda aviation news – Air Uganda to increase Nairobi and Juba flights from early 2012
AIR UGANDA TO ADD MORE FLIGHTS Earlier this week did Air Ugandas new CEO Kayle Haywood announced plans for early 2012 to increase the airlines flights between Entebbe and Nairobi to 19 per week, arguably referring to their early afternoon departure which has so far only operated on those days seen able to support a […]
Seychelles tourism news – Praslin gets new ‘Heritage Route’
SEYCHELLES HERITAGE FOUNDATION MARKS HISTORIC AND CULTURAL SITES ON PRASLIN The Praslin Heritage Route, a trail covering some 25 sites and monuments, has been opened by the Seychelles Heritage Foundation earlier this week, offering locals and tourists like an insight into the history and culture of the Seychelles. The archipelago, comprising some 115 islands, is […]
Uganda aviation / tourism news – ‘Wild Skies over Kajjansi’ – the latest thrill Uganda has to offer
WILD SKIES OVER KAJJANSI (Posted 17th November 2011) (Strapped in and ready to ‘roll’) Uganda has many tourism attractions, some quite mundane and others quite unique and yet others quite thrilling, like spending time with the rare mountain gorillas, racing ‘quads’ through the mud along the banks of the Nile, bungee jumping with a baptizing […]
Rwanda aviation news – Qatar Airways eyes Kigali for early 2012
QATAR AIRWAYS EYES KIGALI The just concluded bi-annual Dubai Air Show brought interesting information to light, over and above the mega deals struck by Qatar Airways and Emirates and a number of other airlines too of course when it was learned that QR has set its eyes set on three more East African destinations. Sometime […]
Mauritius aviation news – Construction of new terminal and apron ‘on time’
NEW AIRPORT TERMINAL TO BE READY BY 2013 Airports of Mauritius have confirmed that the ongoing work on upgrading the countrys main international airport in Pt. Louis is on schedule and that in fact two aircraft parking positions have already been handed over by the contractor. The Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolan International Airport is under the […]
Tanzania conservation news – Minister uses Lusaka Agreement forum to lobby for ivory sales
TANZANIA USES WILDLIFE MEETING TO LOBBY FOR IVORY SALE In a misguided but not entirely unexpected turn of events did host country Tanzania use the presence of experts in Dar es Salaam, discussing issues under the Lusaka Agreement on protection of wildlife, to lobby for permission to be given at the next global CITES meeting […]
Uganda conservation news – NEMA pounces on flower farm suspected of wetland encroachment
FRAUD ALLEGED OVER ENCROACHMENT SAGA OF LUTEMBE BAY Lutembe Bay, once a great wetland and much sought after resting place for migratory birds, has in recent years seen less and less feathered visitors to the dismay of birders and the conservation fraternity, who considered the location so near the capital city and international airport a […]
South Sudan news – Record inflation hits Africa’s youngest country
RECORD INFLATION HITS NEW COUNTRY While Ugandans are pondering the impact of a 30.5 percent inflation rate, across the Northern border in South Sudan the situation is much grimmer, it was learned earlier in the week. Driven by food prices and the cost of fuel, something the country has to import inspite of being a […]
Uganda conservation news – Mehta’s sugar company accused of massive pollution
SUGAR BARON ACCUSED OF MASSIVE POLLUTION The Mehta Group owned Sugar Corporation of Uganda, already in the bad books of local, regional and international conservation groups for their connivance to grab over 7.000 hectares of prime tropical rainforest to grow sugar cane on the land, has come under renewed fire this week. Reports emerged that […]
Global aviation news – Qatar Airways makes long awaited announcement, takes digs against manufacturers
QATAR AIRWAYS STEALS THE SHOW AT THE DUBAI AIR SHOW While Dubai based rival Emirates made the big money headlines with a firm order of 50 B777-300ER and a few more options, in a deal which could be worth 26 billion US Dollars, did Qatar Airways outspoken Chief Executive Officer make different waves at the […]
Uganda aviation news – Gulf Air appoints GSA
GULF AIR APPOINTS GSA FOR UGANDA The Bahrain based airline, due to commence flights to Uganda from the 05th December onwards, has yesterday announced the appointment of a General Sales Agent in the country, casting aside their former partners who represented the airline until their withdrawal from the route several years ago, settling for the […]
Seychelles aviation news – Ethiopian postpones Seychelles flights on eve of inaugural
FLIGHTS TO SEYCHELLES POSTPONED Soon after a meeting between the Seychellois tourism gurus and senior Ethiopian Airlines staff on the sidelines of the World Tourism Market in London, when future cooperation was discussed, was it learned that ET has now postponed the start of flights between Addis Ababa and Mahe for operational reasons, a purely […]
Tanzania aviation update – Mwanza airport closed after flooding
TORRENTIAL RAINS BRING AIR TRAFFIC IN MWANZA TO A HALT Rains of biblical proportions hit the lake side municipality of Mwanza late Sunday into Monday, forcing the airport management to eventually cancel all flight operations in and out of Mwanza as a result of flooded runways, taxiways and aprons. Affected were a number of flights, […]
Weekly roundup of news from Eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands, Third edition November 2011
TOURISM, AVIATION AND CONSERVATION NEWS from Eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean islands A weekly roundup of reports, travel stories and opinions by Prof. Dr. Wolfgang H. Thome Get daily breaking news updates instantly via Twitter by following @whthome or read the daily postings on my blog via: www.wolfganghthome.wordpress.com Many of these articles then also […]
Rwanda aviation news – RwandAir announces date for Lagos flights
RWANDAIR ANNOUNCES LAGOS FLIGHTS FOR 03RD DECEMBER The Rwandan national airline has just announced that they will, as previously mentioned here, commence flights to Lagos / Nigeria as of 03rd December this year. Departure and arrival times of the flight have been tuned to allow easy connections to onward flights to Dubai via Mombasa, Nairobi […]
Kenya aviation breaking news – Smoke in cabin forces take off by Jetlink aircraft to be abandoned
SMOKE IN CABIN FORCED JETLINK AIRCRAFT TO ABONDON TAKE OFF In a report just in from a Twitter source, attempting to travel to Mombasa on a Jetlink flight originating from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, it was confirmed that the take off was aborted as smoke filled the cabin. The CRJ200 jet was set to take […]
South Sudan aviation news – ICAO admits South Sudan as 191st member state
SOUTH SUDAN JOINS ICAO As the long march for the new Republic of South Sudan continues into Independence, the young country has made another milestone step when it finally was accepted as the 191st member of ICAO. The International Civil Aviation Organization admitted South Sudan last week on the 10th of November, paving the way […]
Kenya aviation breaking news – B787 Dreamliner set to visit Kenya
DREAMLINER SET TO MAKE A VISIT TO THE EAST AFRICAN SKIES Information was received from usually reliable sources that the Boeing B787 Dreamliner will make a maiden visit to East Africa, with planned stops at Nairobis Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and to Addis Ababa too, amongst other countries to be visited. Kenya Airways has 9 […]
East African tourism news – Balala calls for speedy integration of East Africa’s tourism
BALALA DECRIES SLOW PACE OF REGIONAL TOURISM INTEGRATION Kenyas tourism ministry Najib Balala, at the end of the World Travel Market in London last Thursday, decried the slow pace of regional integration of the tourism industry, which in his words was hampering the sector capturing more tourists, generating more investment, creating more jobs and earning […]
Kenya aviation news – Brutal demolitions mark start of fight for land outside JKIA
BRUTAL DEMOLITIONS MARK START OF LAND OCCUPATION BY KAA Kenyans will be waking up on Monday morning, shocked to read about another act of government brutality and open defiance of ongoing court proceedings, as hundreds of expensive homes were raided and destroyed over the weekend notably done when courts were not in session to obtain […]
Eastern Congo conservation news – Elephant population decimated in war torn areas
EASTERN CONGO ELEPHANT POPULATION MORE THAN HALFED IN LAST DECADE Alarming figures have emerged from research carried out in the Eastern Congo, a region savaged by civil war and divided by militia ruled fiefdoms, denying the central government in Kinshasa full control or a part of the country rich in natural resources, both in the […]
Aviation news update – Emirates announces new record breaking order for the B777-300ER
DUBAI AIRSHOW 2011 FAR FROM SUCCUMBING TO ECONOMIC WORRIES (Aerial display over the skies of Dubai part of the bi-annual Dubai Air Show) The bi-annual Dubai Air Show started off with a bang yesterday, when Emirates announced a record breaking firm order for 50 B777-300ER and a further 20 options, which if as expected exercised […]
Seychelles news update – Seychelles’ first wind power plant getting ready to produce electricity
NEW WINDFARM SET TO GENERATE ELECTRICITY FOR MAHE BEFORE END OF YEAR Information was received from Victoria overnight that an Abu Dhabi / UAE based clean energy company will commission the archipelagos first wind turbine power plant, thought to go on line as early as before the end of December. Initiated as part of a […]
Seychelles news update – New naval base commissioned on Ile Perseverance
SEYCHELLES PRESIDENT OPENS NEW COAST GUARD BASE A brand new base for the Seychelles Coast Guard was opened yesterday by President James Michel at Ile Perseverance in the presence of high ranking visitors from the United Arab Emirates, which funded the construction of the new facility and gave it to the Seychelles as a gift. […]
Africa tourism news – Table Mountain makes it into the Top 7 of the ‘New Wonders of the World’
TABLE MOUNTAIN REPRESENTS AFRICA IN 7 NEW WONDERS OF THE WORLD In a last ditch effort has Cape Towns campaign for votes yielded the desired result when the famous Table Mountain according to the provisional results now available occupied the 7th position in the global race for fame. Other attractions hoping to make it to […]
Rwanda hospitality news – Hotel association gets new chairman
RWANDA HOTEL ASSOCIATION ELECTS NEW CHAIR The just concluded annual general meeting of the Rwanda Hotel and Restaurant Association has elected Mr. Dennis Karera as the new chairperson. Upon his election Karera emphasized the need to improve training and skills amongst staff to offer better services across the hospitality industry in Rwanda, while also calling […]
Kenya / Ethiopia news – New road and highway deal signed in Addis Ababa
KENYA AND ETHIOPIA INK 750 MILLION US DOLLAR ROAD DEAL A new and closer strategic partnership is forming between Kenya and Ethiopia as a result of current and past developments in the wider region and in particular the Horn of Africa. Ethiopia, now landlocked and the direct route to the former Red Sea ports of […]
Tanzania breaking news – Ferry accident figures now made public confirm the worst
FERRY ACCIDENT REPORT REVEALS FULL SCALE OF DISASTER The Tanzanian government appears shell shocked over leaks of the long awaited and well nearly locked up report of the commission of enquiry, and was seemingly unable to answer allegations as the 50th anniversary of Independence from Britain approaches. Information received from both Zanzibar and Dar es […]
Mauritius news – Water shortages to persist into next year
WATER RATIONING MAY AFFECT TOURIST RESORTS TOO Information was received from Mauritius that the ongoing water shortage will extend right across the peak holiday season over Christmas and New Year into January 2012, with periodic rationing now a problem for not just the tourist sector but the Mauritian population at large. Sources on the island […]
