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 […]
Kenya conservation breaking news – 5 elephant slaughtered in revenge for arrests?
REVENGE KILLINGS OF ELEPHANT SHOCK KENYA News emerged just now from conservation sources in Nairobi that members of a gang of poachers, allegedly led by one Adan Kanjur, inflicted cruel death on a family of 5 elephant south of Kora National Park in the wider Meru Conservation Area recently, although details were only now becoming […]
South Sudan news update – Next to be free: Abyei, South Kordofan, Blue Nile and Darful
NEXT TO BE FREE: ABYEI, SOUTH KORDOFAN, BLUE NILE AND DARFUR Khartoum’s regime leader, fresh from the humiliation of losing a major chunk of his country following his failed policies of war, oppression and disenfranchising the Southern African people, is busy to divert attention back home by beating the war drums again. No sooner had […]
Kenya news update – South Coast ‘by pass’ project on track
SOUTH COAST ‘BY PASS’ ON TRAC Sources from Mombasa have dismissed suggestions that the latest round of consultations between Japanese experts – Japan, inspite of her problems at home following a devastating series of earthquakes and a hugely destructive tsunami, is financing the project with grants and loans – and local counterparts were not a […]
Uganda news update – Aga Khan on working visit in Uganda
AGA KHAN ON WORKING VISIT TO UGANDA His Highness the Aga Khan is in Uganda for a two day working visit, which will include an inspection of the Bujagali hydroelectric power station, which is being lead developed by Industrial Promotion Services from Kenya, itself part of the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development. IPS stepped […]
Uganda news update – Power is back, for now
POWER IS BACK, FOR NOW The independent power generating companies, which a week ago turned off their plants following the non- payment of an alleged 200+ billion Uganda Shillings in subsidy arrears contractually agreed with government, have yesterday resumed production. The ‘loss of capacity’ as UMEME had put it in public newspaper adverts, had caused […]
Ethiopian aviation news update – More delays for B 787 expected
MORE DELAYS ON B787 DELIVERY The ‘Dreamliner turned Nightmare’ scenario seems to continue unabated, as Boeing had to admit to yet another delay, this one caused by the need to re-engineer sections of the aircraft already under assembly as a result of findings from a series of test flights carried out until now. Ethiopian Airlines, […]
Tanzania conservation news update – 64 ‘village rangers’ graduate
VILLAGE RANGERS TO BOOST ANTI POACHING 64 ‘village rangers’ were passed out over the weekend in Northern Tanzania’s Longido district after undergoing training in various subject, including anti poaching patrols. Paid for in full by the Honey Guide Foundation, details about which can be accessed via www.honeyguide.org the rangers will be deployed immediately to cut […]
Mauritius tourism news – Trou aux Biches installs own desalination plant
MAURITIUS RESORT INSTALLS OWN DESALINATION PLANT The Trou aux Biches Resort and Spa on Mauritius is in the process of installing its own desalination plant, as renovations and expansion of the resort is ongoing. The new plant is due to produce some 450 CM per day, against an estimated use of about 600 CM per […]
East African news update – Electricity shortages hit everywhere
POWER CRISIS COVERS ALL OF EASTERN AFRICA NOW Drought conditions in parts of the East African region, poor maintenance and aged equipment and even non -payment of dues to independent power producers have taken their toll on the availability of electricity in the entire region, with ‘load shedding’ or power rationing the order of the […]
