Zanzibar ferry accident update – Now government denies knowledge of ferry owners
ZANZIBAR GOVERNMENT DENIES KNOWLEDGE OF OWNERS OF SUNKEN FERRY In an extraordinary, though not unprecedented turn of events has the government of Zanzibar reportedly denied to have any knowledge of the registered owners of the MV Spice Islander. Registration and licensing of ocean going vessels however has been confirmed to be a function of government […]
Breaking News – British tourist killed, wife abducted from remote beach camp 30 miles North of Lamu
ATTACK ON REMOTE BEACH RESORT LEAVES ONE BRIT DEAD AND ONE ABDUCTED A small resort on the Indian Ocean beaches some 30 miles north of Lamu was attacked earlier today, according to reports emerging from reliable sources in Nairobi. Information is sketchy right now but it appears that the British High Commission has confirmed the […]
Seychelles hospitality news – STA opens Spa, offers relevant courses to students
SEYCHELLES TOURISM ACADEMY OPENS TRAINING SPA The Seychelles Tourism Academy at La Misere opened their new Spa facility in the presence of Principal Flavien Joubert and Seychelles Tourism Boards Deputy CEO Elsia Grandcourt. All the leading resorts across the archipelago presently operate Spas and wellness centres and students at the STA can now acquire appropriate […]
EAC news update – Bureaucrats and lawyers find way out of Khartoum’s membership application
EAC FINDS FACE SAVING WAY OUT OF KHARTOUMS MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION When the application by the Bashir regime in Khartoum to join the East Africa Community became public knowledge, it put the political leaderships in Nairobi, Dar es Salaam, Kampala, Kigali and Bujumbura into a dilemma of sorts. Bashirs cunning plan, to apply ahead of the […]
9 / 11 – Ten years on
9/11 TEN YEARS ON It was a just past 4 in the afternoon when I got a call, being on the outskirts of Kampala enroute back from the airport in Entebbe, that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Centre in New York, prompting me to abort my drive to where I was heading […]
Tanzania breaking news – Ferry with 600 on board sinks between Zanzibar and Pemba
ZANZIBAR STRUCK BY FERRY DISASTER New broke earlier today but took a while to confirm and fully ascertain, that a ferry with reportedly over 600 people on board between Unguja, commonly referred to as Zanzibar and Pemba sunk after capsizing, leaving scores of passengers dead in the water and others struggling to survive by clinging […]
Tanzania conservation news – Maige’s remarks about Kenya’s ivory burning may be true after all
TOURISM MINSTERS ALLEGED DEROGATORY REMARKS ABOUT KENYA TRUE AFTER ALL? When Kenya burnt a cargo of seized ivory a few weeks ago at the KWS training school in Tsavo, dignitaries from across the region had been invited to witness this act of defiance and declared opposition to poaching and the growing trade in blood ivory, […]
South Sudan news update – Major investment conference planned for October
MAJOR INVESTMENT CONFERENCE PLANNED Juba will host the first post independence South Sudan Investment Conference and Trade Fair in October, according to a regular source in Juba. We will be showing potential investors what great range of projects they can apply for, can make a sales pitch for. We need foreign investments in the entire […]
Tanzania news update – Wikileaks blows lid off alleged bribery scandal
WIKILEAKS DOCUMENTS PROMPT ANGRY RESPONSES IN DAR ES SALAAM A leaked cable from the then US Ambassador to Tanzania Michael Retzer to the State Department has produced angry reactions in Tanzania with denial chasing denial. The cables alleged a bribery scandal involving none other than President Kikwete and the owners of what used to be […]
Rwanda news update – Airtel gets ‘vacant’ telecom license
RWANDA AWARDS VACANT TELECOMS LICENSE TO AIRTEL The third license to operate mobile telecom services, withdrawn from a Libyan owned company a few months ago over regulatory offenses, was finally awarded to Airtel Africa earlier this week, bringing the number of mobile operators back to three. Airtel of India had taken over the Zain network […]
Kenya tourism news – New police post planned for Masai Mara Game Reserve
POLICE POST IN MASAI MARA TO IMPROVE SECURITY AND STEM POACHING News were confirmed today that the Kenya Police will establish a new police outpost in the Masai Mara Game Reserve, from where officers will work hand in hand with game rangers and wardens to improve overall security in Kenya key park. Attacks or robberies […]
Madagascar aviation news update – B777-200ER now on lease to do Paris flights
AIR MADAGASCAR LEASES B777 TO CIRCUMVENT EU BLACKLISTING Following the blacklisting over safety concerns by the European Union earlier this year, reported here when it happened, Air Madagascar has substituted a wetleased B767-300ER from Air Italy with a leased B 777-200ER from another European registered airline. The airline operates three flights a week between Antananarivo […]
Tanzania aviation news – ATCL gets new ‘interim’ boss
AIR TANZANIA GETS NEW ACTING CEO Paul Chizi has recently been appointed interim or acting CEO of ATCL by the Minister for Transport Hon. Omari Nundu, to take over at ATCL with immediate effect. Paul was previously with Air Tanzania, which he joined in 1979 according to information from Dar es Salaam, before leaving in […]
Uganda aviation news – Weather radar ‘not a priority’
ENTEBBES WEATHER RADAR NOT A PRIORITY Members of the parliamentary committee on natural resources were shocked, as were aviation observers when the news filtered into the public domain this morning that Entebbe International Airport was lacking a functioning weather radar system. Considering how regular thunderstorms are in Uganda, along the departure and approach paths of […]
Uganda aviation news update – Change at the helm of Fly 540 Uganda
CHANGE AT FLY 540 UGANDA A public notice in the Daily Nation of Kenya and the Daily Monitor in Kampala has tipped off this correspondent and confirmed earlier rumours that Jackie Arkle, the soul and good spirit of Fly 540 in Uganda, has left the airline under unclear circumstances. Jackie arrived in Uganda after two […]
Mauritius news update – 12 foot waves expected at southern beaches
HIGH WAVES WARNING FOR BEACHES IN SOUTH OF MAURITIUS Forecasts are predicting waves on the southern and western beaches of Mauritius to rise up to 4 metres high this weekend as a result of both strong winds and sea swells combining to bring about this unusual phenomenon outside an actual cyclone storm. Beach resorts appear […]
Seychelles hospitality news – The MAIA Luxury Resort and Spa turns 5
THE MAIA TURNS 5 It has been a fast 5 years for the Maia Luxury Resort and Spa on Mahe, since it opened its doors for the first time in September 2006 and it has been a good 5 years by the signs of it. On Tuesday this week, while yours truly was checking out […]
Tanzania conservation news – Government to appeal EACJ ruling, said to be seething with anger
TANZANIA GOVERNMENT TO APPEAL EAST AFRICAN COURT OF JUSTICE RULING The anger by the Tanzanian government could hardly be concealed over the ruling against their ill fated plans to build a highway across the Serengeti, when the announcement was made earlier in the week that the matter would be appealed at the EACJ in Arusha. […]
Rwanda aviation news – ‘WB’ got options on 2 B787 to go intercontinental by 2015/6
RWANDAIR SIGNS OPTION DEAL FOR 2 B787 Following the announcement by the airlines CEO John Mirenge on the occasion of the delivery in Kigali of RwandAirs first B737-800 Sky Interior about the vision for Rwandas national airline, it was established that an option agreement for 2 Dreamliners has been signed. Deliveries are likely to fall […]
Tanzania conservation news update – Now German environmentalists and conservationists protest Uranium mining plans
PROTEST AGAINST URANIUM MINING IN THE SELOUS GOES INTERNATIONAL As a taste of things to come, should the Tanzanian government go ahead with their controversial plans to reduce the size of the Selous Game Reserve and risk environmental degradation and significant pollution of land and water, have German activists began a campaign against the project. […]
Kenya aviation news update – Government struggles to raise funds to take up KQ’s share rights issue
PARLIAMENTARY VOTE PUTS GOVERNMENTS SHARE POSITION AT KQ IN DOUBT Information emerged from Nairobi that parliament slashed the budget estimate of the government to retain their significant 23 percent shareholding in Kenya Airways during the forthcoming rights issue in doubt, as only 2.5 billion of a requested 5.5 billion Kenya Shillings was passed. The Kenyan […]
Kenya conservation breaking news – Stakeholders demand halt to Wildlife draft bill in its current format
STAKEHOLDERS DEMAND MORE TIME TO REVIEW AND AMEND WILDLIFE BILL The attempt by the Kenyan government to rush through a controversial wildlife bill, with little time given to stakeholders to widely consult and contribute opinions and propose changes to the draft text, has obviously failed as growing opposition is now reported to be forming from […]
Tanzania conservation news – Another 700 tusks shipped from Dar es Salaam confiscated in Malaysia
ANOTHER IVORY HAUL FROM TANZANIA CONFISCATED IN MALAYSIA News just broke that Malaysian customs officials confiscated a shipment of 700 tusks destined for a final destination in China and reportedly coming from the port of Dar es Salaam. The blood ivory is thought to be worth over 1 million US Dollars on the black market. […]
Weekly roundup of news from the Eastern African and Indian Ocean region, First edition September 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 First edition September 2011 East Africa […]
Seychelles news update – Major anti piracy meeting begins on Mahe
SEYCHELLES HOSTS MAJOR ANTI PIRACY CONFERENCE The Government of Seychelles in conjunction with the South Asia and Africa Regional Port Stability Cooperative are hosting a meeting to discuss added anti piracy measures and review existing measures already implemented. Observers are also on Mahe from other Indian Ocean island countries affected by piracy, from the European […]
Kenya tourism news update – Premium park fees to go up as tariffs are revised
PARK FEES RISE AS LOW / MED SEASON TARIFFS SHELVED Visitors to Kenyas national parks now pay 80 US Dollars per person per day to enter into the prime national parks across the country, as a new set of tariffs became effective earlier in the week. The new rules appear to have discontinued the low […]
Uganda tourism update – Road link to Kidepo made difficult as bridge gets swept away
TORRENTIAL RAINS SWEEP AWAY BRIDGE TO KIDEPO PARK The present torrential rains in parts of North Eastern Uganda, which already claimed dozens of lives last week when another mudslide coming down the slopes of Mt. Elgon killed dozens of villagers, have now disrupted transport to the Kidepo Valley National Park. The Kaboong bridge was reportedly […]
Kenya aviation news – KCAA set to inflict whopping fee increases on aviation sector
KENYA CIVIL AVIATION PLANS FEE WHOPPER While aviation stakeholders have been locked in a seemingly never ending argument with the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority, with a near breakdown of relations when KCAA broke a gentlemans agreement on the implementation of hugely controversial new regulations last year, the stand offs are not about to end it […]
East African news update – Immigration to apply 6-month rule for EA citizens
FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT FINALLY COMING TO EAST AFRICA The East African Community has over the weekend announced that citizens of member states, wishing to reside in one of the other EAC countries, will now be guaranteed immigration clearance for 6 months at a go without the previously often used 30 days limit being continued. The […]
South Sudan aviation news – Southern Star gets first aircraft, commences operations
NEW AIRLINE FOR NEW COUNTRY South Sudans latest privately owned airline, Southern Star, took delivery last week of their first aircraft, a Dash 8 supplied by ALS of Nairobi Kenya on a long term contract. The new airline is reportedly planning to start operations with domestic flights across the vast Southern Sudanese territory, connecting Juba […]
