Rwanda aviation news update – RwandAir signs long term agreement with Amadeus
RWANDAIR SIGNS AGREEMENT WITH AMADEUS The Rwandan national airline, RwandAir, has effective April 01st signed a comprehensive agreement with leading CRS Amadeus, concluding what has been described as successful but lengthy discussions amongst the two new partners. Amadeus commenced operations in Rwanda some 5 years ago, and Ms. Kainembabazi Sabiti,, based in Kampala, also oversees Rwanda and […]
Kenya’s plans for a new international airport near Taveta cause new spat with Tanzania
TANZANIA OBJECTS TO PLANS FOR ‘TAVETA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT’ IN KENYA East African cooperation is once again being put under the microscope over the Kenyan government’s plans to begin the planning for an international airport near the Tanzanian border at Taveta. Legislators in Tanzania and the business community there have pointed out that only a few miles […]
Uganda news update – Museum safe for now as court grants injunction
OPPONENTS OF MUSEUM DESTRUCTION CARRY THE DAY IN COURT The High Court in Kampala has granted an injunction against the planned destruction of the historically important Uganda Museum, preventing government from interfering with the building as it stands now. The controversial minister for tourism, trade and industry had some time ago announced the museum had […]
Kenya conservation news update – ‘Green sustainable power’ taking root in Kenya
TURKANA WIND POWER PROJECT CLEARS FINAL HURDLES A power project tapping into the wind, a renewable resource in this part of Kenya, is expected to break ground later this year. The green power project will be the second significant one of its kind in Kenya, with the first one erected on the Ngong Hills outside […]
Weekly news roundup from Eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean region, First edition April 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 via Twitter @whthome or on my blog: www.wolfganghthome.wordpress.com First edition April 2011 NEW TRAVEL AFRICA MAGAZINE ‘SPRING EDITION’ IS OUT […]
Rwanda news update – Libyan owned RwandaTel mobile network gets closure notice
LIBYAN TELECOM INVESTMENT IN RWANDA FACES AXE The Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority, in short RURA, has cancelled the Libyan owned RwandaTel mobile license, following a series of prior warnings over alleged non performance and infringements of license terms and conditions, effective this Friday, 08th April midnight. Nearly 600.000 subscribers will be affected, should last minute appeals fail to […]
Aviation news update – Kenya Airways ‘zooming in’ on B737 freighter
KENYA AIRWAYS ZOOMING IN ON B737 FREIGHTER Information is gradually emerging from Nairobi on the plans of Kenya Airways to acquire a cargo aircraft by late Q3 or early Q4 of 2011. It is understood that a team of the airline is presently sourcing for a B737 converted freighter, which can take palletised cargo on board and feed […]
Kenya conservation news update – Game reserve demarcation prompts protests
GAME RESERVE DEMARCATION PROMPTS LOCAL PROTESTS / LAND CLAIMS When surveyors tasked by the Kenya Wildlife Service began demarcating the boundaries of the Lake Kamnarok game reserve in Baringo county, they spurred a series of meetings amongst area residents. Demands were formulated by as many as 1.000 families laying down claims to land KWS considers as part […]
Aviation news update – Kinshasa crash of UN chartered plane claims 32 lives
UN CHARTERED PLANE CRASHES IN KINSHASA News overnight put the death toll of the latest air crash in Congo to now 32 out of a reported 33 on board, with several survivors initially pulled from wreckage of the UN chartered plane then later passing away in hospital due to severe injuries sustained. The jet crashed […]
Aviation news update – Fly 540 adds 10 USD fuel surcharge on EBB – NBO sector
RISING AVIATION FUEL PRICES ADD 10 DOLLARS TO ROUTE Fly 540 yes overnight confirmed that they had to add a supplement of 10 US Dollars per person on the Entebbe – Nairobi route, each sector, due to the sharply risen cost of JetA1 aviation fuel, in particular in Entebbe, where the fuel companies, mainly Shell, […]
Uganda conservation news update – Mt. Elgon again the target for ‘resettlement land’
DOES ASSAULTING THE ENVIRONMENT CREATE POPULARITY AND POLITICAL CAPITAL Mount Elgon National Park, already constantly in the bad news over encroachment, illegal logging and poaching, killing of park rangers and the increasing danger of yet more major landslides, has been given another back stab recently, when of all people president Museveni appears to have directed […]
Aviation breaking news – Egypt Air ‘suspends’ flights to Juba
EGYPT AIR ‘SUSPENDS’ JUBA FLIGHTS Information was received overnight that Egypt Air’s service between Cairo via Khartoum to Juba, previously operated twice a week, has been suspended indefinitely. While talking of a ‘resumption of flights sometime in the future’ this has been dismissed as ‘hogwash’ by an aviation figure in Juba who added: ‘they have […]
Tanzania conservation news update – The great herds are stirring as migration to the North goes underway
THE MIGRATION COMMENCES – WILL IT BE ONE OF THE LAST? The great herds of wildebeest are stirring again after the calving season in the low grass plains between the Serengeti and Ngorongoro is coming to an end. The young wildebeest are now strong enough on their four feet to follow their mothers, as the age […]
Latest ‘Travel Africa Magazine’ hits the market
NEW TRAVEL AFRICA MAGAZINE ‘SPRING EDITION’ IS OUT A few days ago was the latest edition of the highly acclaimed ‘Travel Africa Magazine’ released and subscribers will be able to find one of Africa’s finest travel publications in their P.O. Box, or as is the case delivered by the post man. At the same time […]
Nairobi Tented Camp ‘makes waves’
NAIROBI TENTED CAMP TURNS VISITOR FAVOURITE The ‘cat is out of the bag’ finally and the ‘best kept secret’ it is no longer – the Nairobi Tented Camp, located inside the Nairobi National Park has made such an impact on the market that it has turned crowd favourite only months after commencing operations. TripAdvisor reviews are […]
Seychelles news update – Vigilance and surveillance of the Indian Ocean waters pays dividends
SEYCHELLES VIGILANCE PAYS DIVIDENDS The archipelago’s undeterred drive to safeguard the island country’s extensive national waters of the Indian Ocean paid more dividends earlier in the week, when more Somali pirates were nabbed red handed, trying to hijack a Seychellois fishing vessel. Aerial surveillance and coordination with the international naval coalition led to the capture […]
Rwanda conservation update – Gishwati forest encroachers to be evicted
FOREST ENCROACHERS TO BE EVICTED AGAIN A year after many illegal squatters were evicted from the Gishwati forest and resettled by the Rwanda government, have a number of them sneaked back into the protected area and resumed illegal logging and cultivations. The news broke yesterday prompting a reassurance by government that this trend would not be […]
Kenya conservation news – NEMA stops mangrove forest destruction
NEMA KENYA STEPS IN TO SAVE MANGROVE FOREST Developers of a planned top end residential estate along the shores of the Kilifi creek north of Mombasa were told in no uncertain terms that there will be NO development approved if it involves – as presently planned – to clear an extensive swathe of mangrove forest. […]
Tanzania conservation breaking news – Kikwete stirs fresh controversies when demanding ‘soda ash plant must be built’
KIKWETE’S MOTIVES FOR SERENGETI HIGHWAY BECOMING ALL BUT CLEAR President Kikwete was overnight reported to have demanded the fast tracking of a proposed soda ash extraction plant at Lake Natron, when visiting the Ministry of Industry and Trade. This confirms a long harboured and long suggested suspicion that the construction of the equally controversial highway […]
Conservation breaking news – Thai authorities confiscate over 2 tons of African ivory
THAI CUSTOMS SEIZE OVER 2 TONS OF BLOOD IVORY Information just in confirms that customs officials in Thailand confiscated over 2 tons of blood ivory, shipped to Thailand from Eastern Africa and concealed in boxes of mackerel. Intriguingly the raid took place on a river and not one of the main ports or airports, suggesting […]
Rwanda conservation news update – Gorillas on agenda of multilateral meeting in Kigali
MEETING ON GORILLAS HELD IN KIGALI The Rwandan capital Kigali hosted the latest round of consultative meetings aimed to improve gorilla conservation and the protection of their habitat across national borders. It was learned though from a participant in the meetings that apparently Uganda still had not ratified the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory […]
Aviation news update – Qatar Airways goes ‘100’ and celebrates with ‘special deals’
QATAR AIRWAYS CELEBRATES 100TH DESTINATION WITH ‘SPECIALS’ Information was received from Nairobi overnight that the addition of Aleppo in Syria has brought the number of destinations offered by Qatar Airways to overall 100, cause for a special celebration. Added flights by the airline into East Africa, i.e. Nairobi and Dar es Salaam but sadly not […]
Kenya conservation news update – The upside and downside of fencing elephants in
MORE FENCES PLANNED FOR LAIKIPIA ELEPHANTS It was learned, courtesy of Melissa Groo of Save the Elephant News, that another fence is being planned to keep elephant out of farms and ‘shambas’ and to protect the ever growing population around forests, parks, reserves and conservancies. The Marmanet forest has been targeted for this exercise but it was not […]
Tanzania conservation news update – More mixed signals from President Kikwete
STUNG BY CRITICISM KIKWETE NOW LAYS INTO TOURISM MINISTRY During the customary post election visit to all the government ministries, President Kikwete on Wednesday visited the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism. According to reports the ministry was then promptly subjected to several broad sides by the president, as he accused them of not doing […]
SKAL Kampala elects new board, brings hope for better days ahead
SKAL KAMPALA GETS NEW ‘OLD’ PRESIDENT Ms. Kainembabazi Sabiti, in her professional life General Manager of Amadeus Uganda, was elected to another term of office as president of the Skal Club of Kampala yesterday evening, bringing an uneventful year to a close and giving renewed hope to the Skalleagues for better times ahead. Club vice president for the new […]
Seychelles news update – The MAIA takes Conde Nast honours again
THE MAIA GETS ANOTHER JEWEL IN THEIR CROWN Information was received during the week that Conde Nast has once again put this unique luxury resort in their ‘hot list’ for 2011, after already last year honouring them in 2010 as ‘best hotel for food’. Three renowned chefs are on call to create the most amazing […]
Regional economic news update – Inflation creeping towards double digits
INFLATION MOVING TOWARDS DOUBLE DIGIT TERRITORY The recent slide of the Uganda Shilling and subsequent rise in fuel prices and prices of imported goods in general, combined with lesser supplies of food to the main consumer markets due to drought effects, has driven inflation to a decade long high, as across the region the ‘magic […]
Conservation breaking news – Tanzanian president cancels UNESCO WHS application
TANZANIAN PRESIDENT CANCELS APPLICATION FOR ANOTHER UNESCO SITE True to his form of putting reckless exploitation before careful conservation has Tanzania’s President Jakaya Kikwete reportedly cancelled an application filed by his own ministry of natural resources and tourism, to have the area comprising two more recently established forest national parks – Mkomazi and Udzungwa – recognized by […]
Conservation news update – Female gorilla dies after sustained attacks by two ‘suitors’
GORILLAS NOT IMMUNE TO SEXUAL VIOLENCE News have emerged that a female gorilla of the Nkuringo group has recently died, after her body was found a considerable distance away from the ‘normal’ habitat of the group. It was reported that she has been subject to ‘beatings’ and attacks by two male gorillas, vying for her […]
Aviation news update – Kenya Airways funds new dining hall for special needs school
KENYA AIRWAYS IN SUPPORT OF SPECIAL NEEDS SCHOOL The Ikuu Special School in Eastern Kenya had a new dining hall constructed by the Pride of Africa recently as part of the airline’s annual social responsibility programme. The school, which educates special needs children, including many suffering of autism, for which purpose the facility was initially […]
