East Africa news update – IGAD warned of Eritrea terror links
KIBAKI WARNS OF ERITREA TERROR LINKS The ‘Intergovernmental Authority on Development’ in short IGAD, to which most Eastern African countries have subscribed, was warned earlier in the week by Kenya’s President Kibaki of the growing threats by terrorism spreading from the lawless parts of Somalia into the wider region, and the need to combat the […]
Uganda breaking news – Darkness descends as parliament ponders payment to electricity producers
PARLIAMENT’S FAILURE TO APPROVE ENERGY SUBSIDIES HAS SWIFT AND HARSH CONSEQUENCES The failure last week by parliament to approve the emergency request to release funds for the government’s subsidies programme to support independent electricity producers – a contractually agreed commitment by the way – has had sharp and harsh consequences for the country, as two […]
Rwanda aviation news update – RwandAir celebrates 17th Liberation Day with 17 days of reduced fares
RWANDAIR DROPS FARES FOR 17 DAYS RwandAir has commemorated the 17th Liberation Day in Rwanda in their own unique fashion by offering a 17 day period of sharply reduced fares across their entire network, from Libreville and Brazzaville via Kigali to Johannesburg and Dubai, but also from their regional destinations into network connections. Nairobi, via […]
Seychelles news update – African Union hosts anti terror workshop
SEYCHELLES HOSTS AFRICAN ANTI TERROR WORKSHOP True to a recent comment made by the Minister for Home Affairs, the Hon. Joel Morgan, in an interview with this correspondent, is the Seychelles’ fight against terror in all shapes and forms continuing, this time with a three day workshop organized by the African Union and the African […]
Mauritius aviation update – Airports of Mauritius Corporation remains profitable
MAURITIUS AIRPORTS REMAIN PROFITABLE Information from this Indian Ocean island just received talks of substantial profits for the Airports of Mauritius corporation, in excess of over Rupees 770 million. This according to the source constitutes an increase of about 8.4 percent over the financial year 2009, leaving shareholders and management satisfied with the results. Only […]
Rwanda news update – Country celebrates 17th Liberation Day
LIBERATION DAY CELEBRATIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY The ‘new’ Rwanda, which miraculously rose from the ashes of the 1994 genocide, yesterday celebrated their 17th Liberation Day, commemorating the end of the long dictatorship in Rwanda after all the remnants of the former rag tag army and killer militias had been driven out of ‘the Land of […]
Weekly roundup of news from the Eastern African and Indian Ocean region, First 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 First edition July 2011 East […]
Kenya aviation breaking news – Kenya Airways opens new SkyTeam premium passengers lounge
KENYA AIRWAYS OPENS NEW LOUNGE AT JKIA The Pride of Africa has just announced the opening of a brand new lounge for SkyTeam Platinum and Gold Card Holders, offering their own and partner airlines’ valued frequent fliers the best available lounge standards found anywhere at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. The new facility, able to […]
Tanzania news update – Countdown to 50th Independence Day starts this week
50TH INDEPENDENCE COUNTDOWN TO START THIS WEEK It was learned overnight from a regular source in Dar es Salaam that President Jakaya Kikwete will on Wednesday night this week launch the countdown towards the 50th anniversary of the country’s independence day, due to be celebrated on the 09th of December this year. The ‘official countdown’ […]
East Africa tourism news update – There is a lot more to read about us out there
TASTE FOR MORE ON EAST AFRICA? I am often asked about where my readers can find more material, and more specific details of what is going on across Eastern Africa, and my answer, with few variations, is almost always the same: Access on the web such publications as KenyaBuzz, a weekly guide outlining a rich […]
Uganda community tourism news update – COBATI launches ‘Nubian Village’ project
COBATI LAUNCHES NUBIAN VILLAGE PROJECT IN BOMBO Last month saw the launch by another community tourism initiative by COBATI, the Community Based Tourism Initiative founded by Maria Baryamujura. The Nubian villages, over 30 of them are located in the Bombo area outside Kampala en route the highway to the North of the country, better known […]
Seychelles tourism news update – Emirates and STB invite ‘best sellers’ to 2nd Carnival Festival edition
EMIRATES AND STB TO INVITE TOP PERFORMERS TO THE SEYCHELLES CARNIVAL Four top selling travel agents will enjoy a visit to the Seychelles next year, for the second edition of the Carnaval de Carnivals – the ‘mother’ of all carnival celebrations when the leading ‘carnival nations’ will again be represented in Victoria in the main […]
Seychelles aviation breaking news – SCAA celebrates 40 years of jet flights to Mahe
IT IS 40 YEARS OF JET FLIGHTS INTO MAHE The Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority is celebrating the 40th anniversary of the first ever passenger jet flight into the Mahe International Airport with an open day event, highlighting the importance of air transport to the entire archipelago. Monday 04th July in 1971 did the then BOAC, […]
Kenya aviation news update – SafariLink and Air Kenya to ‘share’ Ukunda route
LOW SEASON ENDS AS SAFARILINK AND AIR KENYA COOPERATE AGAIN The more recent ‘battle for Ukunda’, when Air Kenya literally ambushed SafariLink with the introduction of a second flight, ditching the erstwhile cooperation of the two domestic ‘safari airlines’ on the route, is apparently a thing of the past now. Right in time for the […]
Uganda aviation breaking news – U7 resumes Mombasa / Zanzibar flights
AIR UGANDA RESUMES MOMBASA – ZANZIBAR FLIGHT Only days after Fly 540 had hit the market with an all inclusive fare between Entebbe and Mombasa, return of course, of US Dollars 350 is Uganda’s passenger airline ‘Air Uganda’ also resuming flights to Mombasa again, after a break during the ‘low season’ which follows the Easter […]
South Sudan news update – A week to go and counting as Independence finally approaches
A WEEK TO INDEPENDENCE AND COUNTING As the 09th of July inches closer and closer the entire South, inspite of a series of problems caused by its erstwhile slave masters and warlords in Khartoum, is preparing for the big day of Independence, with the eyes of the entire continent and in fact the world focused […]
Kenya tourism news update – KTB to turn Kenyan athletes into tourism ambassadors
KENYA TOURIST BOARD TO USE HIGH PROFILE ATHLETES AS AMBASSADORS It was learned yesterday evening from regular sources in Nairobi that the Kenya Tourist Board was finalizing plans to turn their globally known and acclaimed distance runners into tourism ambassadors, when they travel abroad to participate in competitions. With the full athletics season now going […]
Tanzania conservation breaking news – After the Serengeti it is now the Selous
TANZANIA GOVERNMENT SETS STAGE FOR NEXT BATTLE WITH CONSERVATIONISTS News just broke that no sooner had the Tanzanian government been compelled by intense global criticism and threats of decampaigning its tourism industry to write to UNESCO and give a written binding undertaking that NO highway would be constructed across the critically important migration paths of […]
Kenya aviation breaking news – KQ goes double daily to Juba ahead of Independence Day
KENYA AIRWAYS GOES DOUBLE DAILY TO JUBA NOW Effective immediately, more likely to have kept the competition in the dark until it actually happened, has Kenya Airways, the Pride of Africa, introduced twice daily departures between Nairobi and the soon to be capital of the new independent Republic of South Sudan. In time for the […]
Kenya tourism breaking news – Lake Elementaita Serena Camp opens on Soysambu Conservancy
LAKE ELEMENTAITA SERENA NOW OPEN Serena’s latest addition to the Kenyan safari circuit, the Lake Elementaita Serena Camp, is now open and true to the pedigree, being ‘born’ into the Serena collection, stands out by a head and then some more amongst its competitors along the Great African Rift Valley floor. Lake Elementaita, part of […]
Kenya tourism news update – Where is the tourism master plan?
WE WANT A TOURISM DEVELOPMENT MASTER PLAN Stakeholders in the tourism industry yesterday met in Nairobi to discuss a number of pressing issues but one highlighted to this correspondent was the absence of a tourism master plan, which according to regular sources from the Kenyan capital had gone ‘awol’. While it was ascertained overnight that […]
Ethiopia aviation news update – ET now adds Milan to European destinations
ETHIOPIAN ADDS MILAN TO EUROPEAN DESTINATIONS Effective July, in other words immediately, will Ethiopian Airlines add 5 weekly flights between Addis Ababa and Milan / Italy, using a B767 aircraft. Traffic days out of Addis will be Monday to Thursday and Saturday, with no flights on Friday and Sunday for the time being. Return flights […]
Tanzania conservation news update – Cheetahs return to Lake Manyara
CHEETAHS RETURN TO LAKE MANYARA NATIONAL PARK After an absence of several years from the park, with not one sighting recorded, was only recently a female cheetah with two almost grown cubs spotted inside the national park again. Last year the government of Tanzania almost doubled the size of this park, extending it around the […]
Kenya conservation news – Ocean poachers nabbed near Malindi by KWS
KWS TARGETS ILLEGAL FISHING ALONG COAST MARINE PARKS Welcome news was received overnight from a source in Malindi that the rangers of the Kenya Wildlife Services’ marine division had managed to nab some notorious fish and turtle poachers a few days ago, after laying an ambush for them. Four culprits were arrested and will be […]
Uganda news update – Shillling falls to record low until Central Bank intervenes
SHILLING FALLS THROUGH 2.700 MARK, PROMPTS MAJOR CENTRAL BANK INTERVENTION Pressure, presumably caused by widespread external and internal speculation, continued to drive the Uganda Shilling downwards, and causing it to fall substantially into the unprecedented 2.700 range against the US Dollar. This in turn prompted finally an intervention by the country’s central bank, the Bank […]
Uganda tourism and conservation news update – UWA saga continues with new twists and turns
FORMER TOURISM MINISTER IN CROSS HAIRS FOR INCOMPETENCE The immediate former Minister for Tourism Trade and Industry, Hon. Kahinda Otafire, thankfully removed from this crucial ministry to wreak havoc elsewhere, has come under intense scrutiny for alleged incompetence over a range of decisions he made in regards to the Uganda Wildlife Authority, as is now […]
Kenya conservation news – Ol Pejeta scoops another global award
OL PEJETA WINS ANOTHER GLOBAL AWARD Information received during the week is all good news about Ol Pejeta, the combined conservancy and cattle ranch on the Laikipia plains outside Nanyuki. The Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries handed Ol Pejeta a ‘Standards of Excellence Award’ during a recent meeting in the UK, recognizing the Sweetwaters’ Chimpanzee […]
Uganda / Tanzania news update – New railway line to avoid Serengeti
NEW UGANDA – TANZANIA RAIL CORRIDOR TO AVOID SERENGETI Uganda and Tanzania yesterday signed an agreement to cooperate in the construction of a new standard gauge railway line, with an estimated overall cost of nearly 2 billion US Dollars, connecting the lake side harbour of Port Bell / Kampala via rail-ferry to Mwanza and then […]
Uganda aviation news update – Fly 540 hits market with new fare for Mombasa
FLY 540 HITS MARKET WITH USD 350 FARE TO MOMBASA The adverts this week by Fly 540 Uganda, offering an all inclusive fare of US Dollars 350 between Entebbe and Mombasa, is set to ignite another round of hotly contested competition on the route to the Kenyan coast, especially in view of Air Uganda having […]
Rwanda news update – African business survey puts Rwanda into top ten African investment destinations
RWANDA’S RELENTLESS CLIMB INTO THE TOP 10 AFRICAN INVESTMENT DESTINATIONS The latest information available from sources close to the Rwanda Development Board indicates that the ‘Africa Business Panel’ has ranked Rwanda now at the number 7 most preferred investment destination in Africa, after such illustrious names like South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Angola and Tanzania. […]
