Ethiopia aviation news – Four new B777F orders placed by Ethiopian Airlines
ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES SNEAKS IN AN ADDED 4 B777 ORDERS In a rather stealthy way has Ethiopian Airlines apparently ordered yet another 4 Boeing B777F aircraft, as it just became known and confirmed by a source in Addis Ababa. The airline had kept this development secret but when news began to leak through international aviation blogs, […]
Tanzania aviation news – Precision Air’s IPO starts this Friday
PRECISION AIRS SHARES ON SALE AS OF FRIDAY The long awaited IPO of Precision Air will finally go underway this Friday, when nearly 59 million ordinary shares will be floated, expected to be bringing in some 28 billion Tanzania Shillings. The capital raised is expected to help finance the airlines ambitious fleet development plans but […]
Kenya tourism breaking news – Kitili Mbathi appointed as KTB Chairman
KITILI MBATHI APPOINTED KENYA TOURIST BOARD CHAIRMAN Well known banker, and during his successful time in Uganda as CEO of Stanbic Bank a close acquaintance of this correspondent, Kitili Mbathi was yesterday afternoon introduced to the public as the new Chairman of the Kenya Tourist Board by Najib Balala, Minister of Tourism in the Kenya […]
Tanzania breaking news – Somali pirates arrested off Mafia Island while attacking an oil exploration ship
TANZANIAN NAVY UNITS CAPTURE PIRATES NEAR MAFIA ISLAND These fellows are getting more daring by the day now and we are really worried that there are militants amongst them who might try to do something similar here like they did in Kenya was the comment of a regular source when asked to give a perspective […]
Kenya tourism news – Lamu occupancies nosedive, tourism takes a hit
CANCELLATIONS SEE LAMU TOURISM TAKE A BIG HIT Information received from sources in Kenya speak of a wave of cancellations for beach resorts in and around Lamu, arguably accelerated by a directive from the tourism ministry not to close establishments even when occupancies drop to near zero, which sent further jitters down the spine of […]
East Africa news – Kenyan minister’s remark on border security baffles South Sudan and Uganda
KENYAN MINISTERS REMARKS ON SOUTH SUDAN / UGANDA BAFFLE OBSERVERS Sources from both South Sudan and Ugandas political establishment have expressed their consternation with remarks made by Kenyas Lands Minister James Orengo before his parliamentary committee on defense and foreign relations, when he mentioned the two countries in the same context of border violations by […]
Uganda news update – Drivers strike at Malaba border brings imports / exports to a halt
CUSTOMS QUARRELS AT BORDER HALT IMPORTS AND EXPORTS Truck drivers at the border between Uganda and Kenya at Malaba have gone on strike and blocked traffic yesterday, halting the flow of goods between the two countries. According to reports the drivers were incensed by what they call arbitrary decisions by the Uganda Revenue Authority to […]
Weekly roundup of news from the Eastern African and Indian Ocean region, First edition October 2011
TOURISM, AVIATION AND CONSERVATION NEWS from the Eastern African and Indian Ocean region 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 – Will Nigerian State Visit serve as launch pad for RwandAir’s flights to Lagos?
NIGERIAN STATE VISIT PRECURSER TO RWANDAIR FLIGHTS TO LAGOS? Nigerian President Jonathan Goodluck is expected in Kigali for a two day official state visit, aimed to discuss a more intense political cooperation as well as stronger trade and investments links between the two countries. The visit is also considered by regular observers as a precursor […]
Hospitality news update – The power of TripAdvisor, but what if they are wrong
TRIPADVISOR COMMENTS PLEASE SEND THEM FROM HOME, NOT FROM THE HOTEL A raging controversy has broken out between a previously Number One ranked hotel and TripAdvisor, after the latter had red flagged the property for allegedly writing their own reviews. The Riverside Hotel and Restaurant in Evesham / Worcestershire in the UK appears to be […]
Kenya news update – Stung by criticism Kenya government finally reacts to security crisis
STUNG BY CRITICISM KENYA GOVERNMENT FINALLY REACTS TO SECURITY CRISIS Stinging criticism over alleged complacency and even incompetence have produced the expected knee jerk reaction by the Kenyan government, which had come to realize that a lot more than just soothing words and empty assurances were needed to calm down the storm last weekends second […]
Tanzania news update – Previously ‘banned’ ships return to serve Pemba route
FERRY TRANSPORT SHORTAGE PROMPTS RETURN OF PREVIOUSLY BANNED SHIPS Information was received from a source in Dar es Salaam that the Zanzibari maritime authorities have lifted the bans on two previously grounded ships, one out of service for several months already while the second was grounded following the sinking of the MV Spice Islander with […]
Uganda news update – CHOGM prosecution ends former Vice President in remand jail
CHOGM AFFAIR HAUNTS FORMER VICE PRESIDENT The unfolding prosecutions over allegations of misuse of funds for the 2007 Commonwealth Summit have claimed their first major scalp when former Vice President Prof. Gilbert Bukenya saw his bail cancelled, when the anti corruption court committed him for trial to the high court. While it is expected that […]
Kenya aviation news – Kenya Airways receives yet another E190 jet
LOW KEY CEREMONY MARKS ARRIVAL OF YET ANOTHER EMBRAER E190 IN NAIROBI Last Saturday did yet another Embraer E190 aircraft arrive in Nairobi at the Kenya Airways base in Embakasi, bringing the total number of this aircraft type to now four. One more delivery from an original order of 5 E190 placed in 2010 is […]
Uganda news update – The New vision website just got better, jazzier
NEW VISION GETS NEW WEBSITE LAYOUT Ugandas leading daily newspaper, currently undergoing a redesign and showing new ooompf has today also commissioned its new public website layout, still available via www.newvision.co.ug The entry portal is now showing on one page the key elements of the daily news and gives easy click access to front page […]
Tanzania news update – Holiday Inn launches helipad and airport flights
DAR ES SALAAM HOLIDAY INN COMMISSIONS HELIPAD Information received from Dar es Salaam has confirmed that the Holiday Inn has launched a helicopter service from the international airport to the hotel, cutting commuting time to around 6 minutes for guests opting to pay 140 US Dollars rather than being stuck in traffic. The service will […]
Kenya tourism news update – ‘Travel embargo’ for parts of Kenya’s coast announced by embassies
TRAVEL EMBARGO NOW EXTENDS 150 KM FROM SOMALI BORDER Embassies and High Commissions in Nairobi were swift to react to the second abduction of a foreign national from the sun drenched beaches of Kenyas Indian Ocean shores last weekend and introducing an all but essential personnel travel ban for their own staff and citizens to […]
Uganda aviation news update – Air Uganda to introduce changes to coastal routes
AIR UGANDA TO INTRODUCE NEW ROUTINGS AND ADDED OPTIONS The seasonal flights in August and September between Entebbe, Mombasa and Zanzibar came to an end last weekend but will resume in December once more to cover the traditional holiday period ahead and over the Christmas and New Year season. Using the CRJ200 U7 has the […]
Africa marketing event news – HOUSTON Marketing to hold 4th ‘Seashow’ in Scandinavia
HOUSTON MARKETING TARGETS SCANDINAVIA FOR AFRICAN MARKET WITH SEASHOW Targeting the growing Scandinavian market to Africa and Indian Ocean Islands, here comes an ideal opportunity to meet with most of the major wholesalers and tour operators in Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland. Collectively the four Nordics countries are considered as probably the 4th largest European […]
Kenya tourism news update – Minister claims Kenya is safe – stakeholder challenge him to ‘prove it’
KENYA IS SAFE SAYS MINISTER PROVE IT SAYS TOURISM FRATERNITY The fallout of the second kidnapping by suspected Somali militants of a tourist from a Kenyan beach resort has already started and is likely to degenerate into a furious row between stakeholders and government, the latter now accused of not having done enough to ensure […]
Uganda tourism news – Bujagali Falls’ last weekend in ‘full flow’
LAST GLIMPSE OF BUJAGALI FALLS This weekend will give Ugandans one of the last chances to see the Bujagali Falls in their full flow, before the downstream Bujagali hydro electric power plant will begin to close the flood gates in preparations of starting production by the end of the month. All the rapids and falls […]
Seychelles breaking news – Election results are out and Party LEPEP makes a clean sweep
SEYCHELLES ELECTION RESULTS ARE OUT Three days of peaceful voting have come to an end yesterday evening at 7 p.m. across the inner islands of Mahe, Praslin and La Digue, after all other islands had their voting carried out during the two previous days. As expected and as witnessed personally at the end of May […]
Kenya breaking news – Update to developments along the Kenya – Somalia border where a French citizen was abducted from Manda Island / Lamu
Update 2: Latest information from Kenya says that Kenyan coast guard and navy vessels have cornered the abductors of a French tourism from Manda Island last night and that presently there seems to be a standoff. It is understood that this is still in Kenyan waters and that the abductors have failed to reach the […]
Kenya news update – Stakeholders say no to new proposed fee on air tickets
AIRLINES AND TOURISM STAKEHOLDERS SAY NO TO EXTRA FEE The coming into effect of the new Kenya Tourism Bill last week, when President Kibaki made it law by putting his signature to it, will also usher in an era of additional public bodies to be created, and more important to be financed. The now mandatory […]
Kenya breaking news – Another abduction reported from Lamu’s Manda island
SECOND KIDNAPPING OF TOURIST NEAR LAMU SHOCKS KENYAS TOURISM SECTOR News are emerging from a range of sources in Mombasa and Nairobi that a second tourist kidnapping has taken place from the Manda Bay Resort near Lamu, when apparently a French woman was abducted in similar style as the recent kidnapping of a British woman […]
Tanzania news update – Councillor changes his mind, JV agreement between Serengeti District Council and Grumeti now ready to be signed
SERENGETI COUNCIL NOW SUDDENLY READY TO SIGN JV AGREEMENT In a strange turn of events, following earlier reports that the signing between Grumeti Reserves and the Serengeti District Council had bounced did news emerge overnight that the councilor who had raised the concerns appears to have changed his mind when the matter, according to his […]
Uganda news update – Where did the allegations against the Minister come from?
IS A MEMBER OF THE UWA COMMISSION BEHIND THE MUD THROWN AT MINISTER? There is speculation that a source from within the Commission of Enquiry could have deliberately leaked unsubstantiated allegations that Prof. Kamuntu, now the Minister for Tourism, has accessed UWA money to inoculate his cattle against foot and mouth disease. Prof. Kamuntu denied […]
Rwanda news update – US Senate unanimously ratifies BIT with Rwanda
RWANDA US BILATERAL INVESTMENT TREATY RATIFIED The US Senate has during the week in a unanimous vote ratified and sanctioned the bilateral investment treaty signed between Rwanda and the United States. This move further underscores the progress made in economic development by The New Rwanda since the 1994 genocide which has left the country in […]
Uganda conservation news – Rafting for Rhinos raises 23+ million Shillings
RAFTING FOR RHINOS RAISES 23 MILLION AND AWARENESS (Rafting for Rhinos 2011 book your own date for 2012) The Raft for Rhinos races on the upper Nile last weekend have according to Angie Genade, Executive Director of the Rhino Fund Uganda and the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary raised about 23 million Uganda Shillings, a significant boost […]
Uganda news update – Inflation now stands at 28+ percent, shocks business community
INFLATION RUNS AWAY WITH 28.3 PERCENT IN SEPTEMBER Ugandans will wake up today to the shock news of a 28.3 percent inflation figure, published yesterday afternoon through the relevant departments of the Bank of Uganda and the Uganda National Bureau of Statistics. Last months figure, now looking relatively modest, was 21.4 percent and it was […]
