Mauritius tourism news – EU helps to finance new tourism strategic plan
EU CO-FINANCES TOURISM PLANNING FOR MAURITIUS Clearly stung deep by the success of fellow ‘vanilla island’ Seychelles, which has over the past two and a half years re-positioned itself as THE Indian Ocean island destination of choice and became the darling of the global media, Mauritius is now embarking on clawing her own position back […]
Kenya conservation news – BURN IVORY BURN
LET ACTION FOLLOW THE GOOD WORDS SPOKEN AT THE IVORY BURNING Burn Ivory Burn was the motto yesterday afternoon at the Kenya Wildlife Service’ Manyani Training Centre in Tsavo National Park, where the conservation who is who from Eastern Africa was joined by President Mwai Kibaki of Kenya, a number of his ministers and senior […]
Seychelles news update – Constitutional Court overturns parliamentary dissolution vote
CONSTITUTIONAL COURT REVERSES PARLIAMENTARY DISSOLUTION The dissolution of parliament last week was quashed by the Seychelles constitutional court in an emergency hearing, granting a petition to restore parliament to life by the opposition, after it was found that the format of notice required to decide on such a matter was not legally met. This will […]
Kenya aviation news – Parliament now summons KAA management
KAA SUMMONED TO PARLIAMENT Although the Kenya Airport Authority belatedly issued apologies to the general public and the entire aviation fraternity at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, incidentally rejected by a number of airlines as ‘insufficient as long as no compensation is offered’, parliament was even swifter in summoning the KAA management to explain what […]
Uganda aviation news – Entebbe fuel stocks run low again
FUEL SHORTAGE AT ENTEBBE ADDS TO REGIONAL AVIATION WOES Following the repeated power outages at the region’s largest airport in Nairobi did news emerge that Entebbe has been suffering of a lack of aviation fuel again last week. While scheduled flights were able to get refueled before leaving for ‘home’, airlines flying on the route […]
Kenya conservation news – Poachers arrested with 40 tusks
ANTI POACHING MEASURES YIELD ARRESTS News emerged in Kenya late yesterday that police and other security operatives have arrested a gang of poachers transporting ivory from Isiolo to Nairobi. Over 40 elephant tusks were confiscated in the operation together with the truck, as it was used in carrying illicit contraband. Three suspects are due to […]
Weekly roundup of news from the Eastern African and Indian Ocean region, Third edition July 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 Third edition July 2011 […]
Tanzania conservation news update – UNESCO World Heritage Committee ‘insignificant entity’ says Tanzania’s tourism minister
UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE COMMITTEE ‘AN INSIGNIFICANT ENTITY’ The utterances of politicians in East Africa are legendary and legion, but the Tanzanian Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism Ezekiel Maige outdid himself when calling the UNESCO World Heritage Committee an ‘insignificant entity from which we (meaning the megalomaniac us as in I) cannot take orders’. Maige […]
Kenya aviation breaking news – Drama at JKIA continues with another major power outage
SACK THEM, ALL OF THEM, AND DO IT NOW A second major power failure hit Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport last night, again forcing airlines to divert flights to other airports in Kenya and the region, while awaiting power to be restored. Only two days earlier did the same happen in the early morning hours, […]
Rwanda news update – Country now eyes geo-thermal energy sources
RWANDA EYES GEOTHERMAL ‘CLEAN AND GREEN’ ENERGY SOURCES Rising energy costs through the use of thermal electricity plants using heavy fuel oil or diesel have brought plans back to tap into geo-thermal sources in Rwanda to produce affordable power. Details published in Kigali yesterday speak of up to 30 MW of initial geo-thermal electricity potential, […]
Seychelles aviation news update – Helicopter Seychelles brings Augusta 109 back
HELICOPTER SEYCHELLES SPLITS WITH ZIL, BRINGS BACK AUGUSTA 109 While all parties concerned are keeping their own counsel and are at this stage not going on record over the reasons for the failed merger between Helicopter Seychelles and Zil Air, the fact remains that the merger attempt, reported here when it went underway, had not […]
Rwanda conservation news update – Renewed focus on re-forestation
RWANDA’S RE-FORESTATION GATHERS MOMENTUM Efforts to increase forest cover to 30 percent of Rwanda by 2020 have gathered momentum with a broad based forestry workshop taking place in Kigali from today. 2011 is the United Nation’s ‘Year of the Forests’ and Rwanda has taken the lead in the region to commit to major forest restoration […]
Uganda aviation news – Entebbe cleared for A 380 emergency diversions
ENTEBBE INTERNATIONAL CLEARED AS AN A380 EMERGENCY LANDING AIRPORT The Civil Aviation Authority over the weekend released information that the airport was cleared by an inspection panel of Emirates, Dubai’s award winning airline, to serve as an emergency landing airport, following successful ‘simulations’ being carried out. It is understood that the airline was seeking landing […]
Tanzania conservation news update – Wild Dog Project gets Vodacom (T) financing
WILD DOG PROJECT GETS VODACOM SUPPORT Vodacom, one of Tanzania’s leading mobile telecom companies, has pledged to support a wild dog, aka hunting or painted dog conservation project in the Serengeti National Park, following reports that an increasing number of these increasingly rare animals have been poisoned by cattle herders. It is the Tanzania Wildlife […]
Kenya aviation news – JKIA hit by another power failure
ANOTHER POWER OUTAGE HITS JKIA – AIRLINES DEMAND ACTION / RESIGNATIONS Earlier this morning was East Africa’s most important aviation gateway, the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, again hit by a power outage, delaying incoming and outgoing flights. Kenya Airways just moments ago tweeted their return to normal operations to their thousands of followers on Twitter, […]
Kenya conservation news update – KWS hands over new sites in Meru Conservation Area
MORE LODGES FOR MERU CONSERVATION AREA Kenya Wildlife Service handed over two sites for development to investors, who are now tasked with putting up tourist facilities in the Kora National Park and the Meru National Park, both part of the greater Meru Conservation Area. The conservation area, comparably less visited than other better know national […]
Rwanda aviation news update – Bugesera International Airport consultants’ report due out next month
BUGESERA AIRPORT DESIGN AND CONSULTANTS REPORT DUE OUT NEXT MONTH Information was received overnight from Kigali confirming that the long awaited consultants’ report about the design proposals for the new international airport ‘Bugesera’ will be published next month, allowing stakeholders and the public at large to study it in detail. Rwanda is presently connected to […]
South Sudan news update – Liaison offices turn into embassies
SOUTH SUDAN LIAISON OFFICES UPGRADE TO EMBASSIES The former liaison offices of the South Sudan have been turned into fully fledged embassies only days after the South attained the long awaited independence from the regime in Khartoum, and several ambassadors were already appointed across East Africa. Now that the United Nations have formally admitted the […]
Seychelles news update – Somalis jailed for 24 years
SOMALIS SENTENCED TO 24 YEARS IN PRISON 6 Somali ocean terrorists were yesterday ‘sent down’ for 24 years for their participation in seajacking a Seychelles fishing vessel, taking Seychellois citizens hostage and attempting to sail the ship to Somalia. The verdict was extra heavy as they then attempted to attack a Seychelles Coast Guard vessel […]
South Sudan aviation update – ET named ‘Official Independence carrier’
ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES NAMED ‘OFFICIAL INDEPENDENCE CARRIER’ The government of the Republic of South Sudan has recognized Ethiopian Airlines as the ‘Official Carrier for South Sudan’s Independence Celebrations’ in a statement released yesterday. ET, now operating flights not just to Juba but also to the city of Malakal, brought well over 1.000 VIP’s and other passengers […]
Kenya conservation news – Laikipia conservancies under siege by poachers
KWS FINALLY ACTS ON RHINO KILLING SPREE China, thought to be the main driver for demand in rhino horn, over its alleged but sadly mistaken ‘properties’ to revive ‘ageing men’, is coming under renewed scrutiny and attack by wildlife conservationists, as poaching of rhinos in Kenya is reaching a new level again. Last year over […]
Kenya aviation news update – Kisumu extension works coming to an end
KISUMU INTERNATIONAL – FINALLY Construction on the expanded runway, taxiway and apron is gradually nearing completion at the Kisumu airport, after the terminal building and other facilities had been upgraded and expanded before already. The ‘new’ Kisumu airport, which on the occasion of ‘inaugurating’ it by the end of July is expected to be named […]
Kenya conservation news – Increasing conflict between humans and wildlife
JUMBOS BREAK FENCES, ESCAPE PARKS IN SEARCH OF WATER AND FOOD News emerged overnight from Kenya that several ‘jumbo hotspots’ were giving the Kenya Wildlife Service headaches, of how to contain elephants which in search of food and water are leaving reserves and parks, causing havoc for nearby villages. Reports from Kwale, near the Shimba […]
Kenya conservation news update – United stand needed by African governments against poaching
KENYA ASKS FOR PAN AFRICAN SUPPORT IN ANTI POACHING EFFORTS Only days before several tons of ivory will be burned in a symbolic gesture by the Kenyan government, seen as an act of defiance but also a signal to other African countries to intensify their own campaign against poaching, did the Kenya Wildlife Service and […]
Uganda news update – Electricity and who pays for it, a balancing act on the high wire
ELECTRICITY PRODUCTION – GOVERNMENT’S BALANCING ACT ON THE HIGH WIRE Uganda’s government has apparently made a principal decision to expire diesel propelled power generation plants, just as soon as the Bujagali hydro electric dam goes into operation in November this year. Starting with an initial production of 50 MW this relatively low cost electricity production […]
Uganda aviation news – Air fare wars ‘reloaded’
NEW FARE WAR ON ENTEBBE – NAIROBI ROUTE Inspite of continuously high fuel prices and inflationary pressures on airlines have fares between Entebbe and Nairobi started to move again, downwards that is. According to travel agents, keenly monitoring these developments to give their clients the best possible deal, return flights now sell from US Dollars […]
Seychelles aviation news update – Zil Air gets first fixed wing aircraft
ZIL AIR TAKES DELIVERY OF FIRST EVER FIXED WING AIRCRAFT Yesterday Zil Air of Seychelles, previously a company known for helicopter operations, broke new ground when taking delivery at Mahe International Airport of their first fixed wing aircraft, an Italian built P68C Vulcanair. The twin engined Partenavia will offer 5 passenger seats and increased comfort […]
Seychelles breaking news – Parliament dissolves itself, paves way for fresh general elections
PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS COMING UP IN 90 DAYS President Michel’s party LEPEP gained a crucial victory in parliament yesterday, when they managed to attain a two third majority in two important rounds of voting. Each time a senior member of the SNP opposition crossed the floor and voted with the ruling party, providing the all important […]
Kenya news update – Will more highways decongest traffic?
NEW DUAL CARRIAGE ROADS AND HIGHWAYS TO DE-CONGEST NAIROBI As the ‘Eastern and Northern’ by passes around the city of Nairobi are showing signs of advanced construction, with sections of the new highways already completed by the contractors, the ‘Southern By Pass’ has received fresh impetus according to Nairobi based sources, after China offered to […]
Kenya hospitality news update – Elementaita Serena officially opened, Nairobi Serena to be expanded
ELEMENTAITA SERENA OFFICIALLY OPENED, NAIROBI SERENA TO GET EXPANDED Serena’s latest addition to their growing collection in East Africa, the Soysambu based Elementaita Serena on the shores of Lake Elementaita, was yesterday officially opened by the Minister of Tourism Hon. Najib Balala in the presence of His Highness Prince Amyn Aga Khan, Serena’s Group Managing […]
