v......... News from 'Uganda - Gifted by Nature'and East African region By Prof. Dr. Wolfgang H. Thome. Fourth edition July 2009   UGANDA WILDLIFE AUTHORITY REASSURES VISITORS TO MGAHINGA Having broken the news on the forest fire in Rwanda and the subsequent spreading of the fiery blaze into Uganda, the UWA spokesperson Lillian Nsubuga also rushed to reassure the public that there was no cause for concern for visiting tourists, nor had the gorillas on the Ugandan side of the border transcending ecosystem suffered in any way or lost their habitat or 'fled across the borders', as was falsely claimed by poorly informed scribes in some sections of the media. She also confirmed that Rwandan helicopters had been given permission to douse the flames even on the Uganda side of the border, again discounting ill meaning peddlers of half truths that 'air space violations' had taken place. Rwandan sources too reaffirmed that this fire fighting coordination had been cleared in advance through the usual diplomatic and other channels of communications. Birdlife and forest wildlife, other than the gorillas, were of course moving away from the fires higher up into the mountain forests, while the fires were combated by a joint force of the Ugandan People's Defence Forces (UPDF), contingents of other security organs and volunteers from the adjoining communities. UWA did point out that this was the first major forest fire since 1978 and generally considered an act of nature to cleanse the forest undergrowth. No danger existed for tourist visitors, nor to nearby tourist facilities, at any time during the fire and tracking for mountain gorillas, on both sides of the border, continued without interruption. SERENA ENDS FRENCH FOOD EXTRAVAGANCA The Kampala Serena hosted French Michelin starred chef Alex Morlot of the 'La Bastide de Capelongue' in Provence last week, to share his long experience with the chefs and kitchen staff at Uganda's finest hotel restaurant, 'The Pearl of Africa'. Clients of the Serena could for an entire week sample the recipes and fine cuisine of Chef Alex without having to actually go to France, and reportedly several food aficionados went more than once to indulge themselves, and their guests, celebrating the 'fine art of eating out'. ANGER OVER GOVERNMENT PLANS TO PRIVATISE ENTEBBE AIRPORT Controversy broke out almost immediately when a local daily newspaper published a report, alleging that government was in the final stages of privatising the country's single international airport and concessioning it out to a Chinese consortium which apparently also consulted for, but not managed Singapore's Changi Airport. However, in the light of past 'hot air' investors claiming a multitude of things, few of which later on &endash; upon eventual due diligence or other reviews conducted by sectoral experts or parliament &endash; turned out to be correct, caution and transparency are obviously the main issues here. Issue was also taken with the fact that apparently no public advertising for the allegedly planned concession has taken place, as would ordinarily be the case under the relevant laws and regulations in place in Uganda. For a project of this scale international tendering would arguably be the best option, delivering the best financial results and being transparent, rather than holding sessions behind closed doors which are only bound to raise suspicion and bring about accusations of underhand deals. What was apparently most disconcerting for some critics was the fact that the company is on record, through their website (www.cai.sg/portfolio/portfolio.htm#uganda), for having 'reviewed the airport's operations and made recommendations for improvements to the airport' and having 'reviewed the Entebbe International Airport Master Plan'. These 'reviews' are seemingly now ending in recommending themselves as the future airport managers without bidding, a move aimed to shut out competition and probably getting 'the deal' for the proverbial 'peanuts'. As usual, watch this space for future updates on this evolving saga. LEADING UGANDAN HOTELS TIGHTEN SECURITY MEASURES In the wake of the Jakarta bombings of the Marriot and Ritz-Carlton hotels last weekend, where some sources claimed that security measures were far from desirable levels and some equipment not working properly, Uganda's main hotels have further tightened their entry procedures, as have reportedly also hospitality businesses in Kenya and Tanzania. After speaking to a few senior contacts in the hospitality sector, selected hotels are now even considering screening the baggage of arriving guests for signs of explosives or weapons, as one of the Jakarta bombers appears to have checked into the hotel before then wreaking havoc on the facility, its staff and other guests. This would be similar to baggage being screened at the airport in Entebbe, before travellers are permitted into the departure hall for check in to their flight. In Uganda, even midsized and mid classed hotels have now installed walk through metal detectors or use hand held scanning devices, while the city's leading hotels have also moved towards major screening machines, through which hand bags, bag packs and briefcases have to be screened, while metal objects, mobile phones and other electronic devices have to be subjected to a screening too. When the top hotels, like the Sheraton or the Commonwealth Resort host VIP guests and in particular Heads of State, additional security is of course deployed through the Presidential Guard Brigade, which besides perimeter security also takes over the screening of all visitors to the hotel. However, there is an ongoing surveillance process in place, whereby security operatives in plain clothes move around the city's leading hotels in order to constantly look out for and determine threat levels, a practise welcomed by the hospitality industry. Opposition politicians have often taken (futile) cause with this, at times claiming they are the targets of such security measures, while in fact the general safety and security of hotel visitors, from both abroad and within Uganda, is an aspect which must at no times be neglected and is the paramount objective of such efforts. In regard of one of the country's premier meeting and hospitality ventures, the Speke Resort and its sister operation Commonwealth Resort &endash; incidentally due to host the upcoming 'Smart Partnership Dialogue' for which 9 heads of state have confirmed their attendance &endash; security commences with one screening point way ahead of the main gate, while the main gate is further secured by a hydraulic spike system, which would pierce vehicle tyres should a car try to force its way into the compound. Notably the two main resort complexes are still several hundred metres away from the main gate, adding a safe distance to any potential incident. The two resort complexes, regularly hosting state visitors, VIP's from across the world and high ranking delegations, but also being the regional crew hotel for Brussels Airlines, is according to proprietor Sudhir Ruparelia cooperating closely with security organs in regard of intelligence gathering, surveillance and active patrols. This also extends into Lake Victoria to prevent a waterborne unauthorized entry into the sprawling estate. CCTV is supplemented by regular security patrols, along the extensive perimeter but also across the main buildings of the resorts and meeting facilities. In honesty, Sudhir did say 'one can never be certain that we are safe at all times' but at least in this facility all humanly possible is done to ensure the safety of visitors while enjoying their stay. In closing Sudhir particularly praised the close cooperation of his hotels with security organs and attributed it to 'good relations between all the parties concerned'. 'Google' the two resorts for more information, or better pay them a visit and stay at the shores of Lake Victoria in one of the most appealing settings found anywhere around Africa's largest lake. Uganda is the lead contributor of armed personnel to the African Union peace keeping force in Somalia and as such has been subjected to regular threats by Islamic militants, something taken serious here. The country also now serves a two year term on the UN Security Council, presently even holding the rotating chair, again turning attention to the country from unwanted quarters. Hence, security, both overt and covert, has been stepped up across the entire nation, not just the capital city, to ensure that our people, our visitors, our installations, infrastructure, public meeting places like hotels, conference venues, restaurants and other major investments are protected at all times. CAA APPROVES SN &endash; LH CODESHARE FOR ENTEBBE Information has been received that the Ugandan Civil Aviation Authority has granted permission to Brussels Airlines, to add a Lufthansa code share flight number to their own for the 4 times a week service between Brussels and Entebbe. This will, other than for some one off occasional cargo flights in the past, be the first scheduled Lufthansa flight number to Entebbe since the airline withdrew from Uganda in the heydays of notorious Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in the early 1970's. The code shared flight is thought to tap into an additional substantial pool of travellers loyal to Lufthansa, as well as feed connecting traffic from other Star Alliance partners into the SN flights. Announcements at the Entebbe International Airport already mention the LH flight number when announcing flight arrivals and calling passengers for check in or boarding. This column had already reported this development several weeks ago and 'formal' confirmation from the two airlines has now at last been received, after an initially both coy as well as stunned reaction about the breaking news at the time. The more 'formal' launch was held at the Sheraton Kampala Hotel earlier in the week, when SN country manager Pierre Declerk, flanked by SN's country sales manager Roger Wamara and the Belgian and German Ambassadors, formally briefed the Ugandan media on these developments and the resulting opportunities for travellers on Brussels Airlines from and to Entebbe. Notably, no direct representative of Lufthansa was present on the occasion, underscoring the need for the German airline giant to restore a more visible presence in Eastern Africa once again and support their alliance partners for flights to Eastern Africa, Brussels Airlines and Swiss in their sales and marketing activities. However, comments attributed by Pierre Declerk to Lufthansa in regard of the code sharing approvals were repeated for the media houses present, saying that the processing and granting of the code share application 'was amongst the very fastest ever seen', a resounding vote of confidence for the Ugandan Civil Aviation Authority. The two Ambassadors too expressed their support for the new cooperation between SN and LH, with the German Ambassador H.E. Reinhard Buchholz in particular appearing pleased to see the largest German airline 'return' to Uganda, albeit presently under a codeshare arrangement. Meanwhile, SN has added its own flight number to the five times a week service between Frankfurt and Libreville, which is operated by Lufthansa. Watch this space. AYA IN THE NEWS, AGAIN The local media are certainly having another field day with the so called 'Kampala Hilton' development of the notorious 'Aya' brothers, when the local 'gutter' press reported alleged attempts by the brothers to sell of the structure of the hotel after failing to complete the process of finishing and furnishing. While the structure is lit at night to give the impression of activity, during the day the site appears rather bare of activity, while it should by now be a beehive of workers scrambling on the inside of the hotel structure and the rooms. The brothers predictably refuted these reports and their chairman Mohamed Hamid is reported in Uganda's leading newspaper, the New Vision, that he 'has no intention of selling [its] hotel project at Nakasero'. The 'Red Pepper' &endash; notorious itself for its style of reporting and subsequent pending criminal and civil cases by Libya's leader Col Gadaffi, had earlier on alleged that the developers had failed to secure further funding for the finishing of the project, now into its 4th year. The story has also again caused prolonged laughter and other befitting comments from the more professional hospitality stakeholders asked about their opinions of the project, which in itself is a 'tell all' reaction. FORMER TRAVEL NEWS PUBLISHER RETIRES Tony Clegg Butt, the Past President of Skal International from the Nairobi Skal Chapter, has recently retired from his position as publisher, following a merger between his erstwhile brainchild 'Travel News & Lifestyle' and 'Twende', which belongs to a South African publishing group. TN, as it was referred to in short, which over the years become Kenya's and in fact East Africa's premier travel magazine was in a different format published first in the mid 90's and rose in size and content to cover not just Eastern Africa but eventually the world at large. Eventually TN became a monthly reference guide for travel across the region, to the lesser known game parks and reserves and to new lodges, camps and beach resorts, while also annually publishing 'the Quest for the Best of East Africa' winners from across the tourism, hospitality and aviation industry, after a yearly process of nominations from the readers of the glossy magazine. TN had for long absorbed editorial content from this column but after the merger it appears that the new 'lot' had other ideas, as they eventually even dropped the initially joint name 'Twende and TN' and then even halted the free distribution of 'proof copies' the regular contributors used to receive, at which stage this column also dropped them from the recipient list. Tony will be missed, undoubtedly, by the majority of his former staff at TN but will for sure resurface sooner rather than later, him not being a creature of leisure that is. Meanwhile, full compliments for an impressive publishing career, which brought the marvels of Eastern Africa to a wider audience and made travel 'at home' more fashionable. His own column in TN, 'Miscellaneous Ramblings' regularly told the not so good things he came across when flying around the globe or encountering less than the expected hospitality levels at a restaurant, hotel or resort but he also praised those enterprises which performed well, giving them a competitive edge as the readers of TN always followed his 'trend setting'. This columnist for sure will miss reading about his exploits and both as a friend and colleague wishes him well as he crosses to new horizons. Asante Sana Bwana Tony, it was a pleasure working with you! FLY 540 ADDS MORE DOMESTIC FLIGHTS As demand for air travel in Kenya appears on the upswing once again, Fly 540 has promptly started adding extra flights from their base in Nairobi to Mombasa, Malindi and Kisumu. The first true low cost / no frills airline in the East African region now flies fives times a day between Kenya's capital city of Nairobi to the coastal city of Mombasa, while they have added a third daily flight between Nairobi and Kisumu. Malindi too is now being served three times a day, adding at least some capacity after Kenya Airways withdrew their Embraer 170 service a few weeks ago, citing insufficient loads at the time. The airline has at the same time confirmed earlier speculation, that a new flight from Nairobi to Zanzibar will be launched in August, also routing via Dar es Salaam and Kilimanjaro, giving passengers a full range of the 'Tanzania' connection. Previously Fly 540 operated their flight to Zanzibar via Mombasa and it confirmed by the airline that these twice daily flights will continue to be available. This permits a combination of a holiday in both Mombasa and Zanzibar, where tourists can enjoy some of the best beaches in the world, besides very posh accommodation and excellent food. KENYA TURNS FOCUS ON JAPAN Following a recent marketing blitz in Eastern Europe KTB's activities have now turned towards Japan, and arguably other markets in the Far and South East of Asia. Japan, inspite of the current economic challenges, remains an important source market for visitors to Kenya, and East Africa for that matter. Workshops, B2B meeting sessions and sales calls are now unfolding across Japan's major cities with the aim of popularizing Kenya as a holiday and MICE destination. President Mwai Kibaki has in the meantime called upon the other East African Community member states to ease travel across the 'internal borders' so that trade and tourism can be stimulated and the economies across Eastern Africa benefit from closer economic ties. Adds this column: 'start with a common Visa for foreign visitors to allow them visit all member states without having to pay for Visa at each border, and permit at last Visa free travel for expatriates resident in any of the EAC member states, to fully tap into that potential 'domestic' tourist market. In addition, make travel by car across the region easy by compelling national insurance companies to issue insurance covers valid for the entire East African Community and align and standardize drivers licences and car ownership documents for the EAC.' MORE CHARTER FLIGHTS FOR MOMBASA Information received from Kenya speak of a new holiday charter route to be established between Moscow and Mombasa, which would prove to be the first ever such operation bringing holiday makers directly from Russia to the sandy Indian Ocean beaches of the Kenyan coast. In the past the 'old' Aeroflot used to operate flights between the then Soviet Union and Kenya, but the several waypoints and use of outdated aged equipment eventually led to the halt of these flights. The Kenya Tourist Board and private sector recently embarked on an intense road show in Russia, Poland and the Czech Republic with the aim of tapping into these emerging markets and tour operators from the latter two countries too are reportedly considering to begin direct charter flights for tourists. The Kenyan Minister of Tourism, Hon. Najib Balala, also briefed the media at his hometown of Mombasa over the last weekend that holiday charters may also resume later in the year from France, Belgium and Holland, as demand was showing an upwards trend for coastal holidays in Kenya. Coast hoteliers this column spoke with are also hopeful that direct flights from Poland and the Czech Republic can be established soon. FLY 540 TANZANIA ADD AIRCRAFT The latest news from Fly 540's Tanzanian operation now indicates that they are stationing a Beech 1900 aircraft at the Arusha municipal airport to offer convenient connections for tourists wishing to fly from there to Manyara and the Serengeti. It is understood that the flights will also route via Kilimanjaro International to pick up or drop off passengers flying to Nairobi, Dar es Salaam or Zanzibar, or coming from there for game park visits. The development is yet another strong indicator that the regional tourism industry may be through the worst of the fall out of the global economic and financial crisis and that a firm 'upwards' trend has now once again emerged. The B1900 is a fully pressurised aircraft, providing a substantially better flying experience compared to other twin engine aircraft often used for 'safari flying', while at the same time attaining faster speeds and higher cruising altitude to avoid much of the usual mid afternoon 'bumpy ride'. Well done! ZAMBEZI AIRLINES COMMENCE DAR ES SALAAM &endash; LUSAKA FLIGHTS A convenient new connection, three times a week, now permits business and tourist travellers to fly nonstop from Tanzania's commercial capital to Lusaka / Zambia. The flights presently operate every Monday, Wednesday and Friday using a B737-500. Launch airfares start at US Dollars 375 plus taxes return, from Dar to Lusaka. The privately owned airline also flies between Lusaka, Livingstone and Ndola to Johannesburg while more domestic Zambian services are operated by partner airline Proflight Zambia, connecting passenger from Lusaka to such destinations like Livingstone, Ndola, Solwezi, Mfuwe and Chipata. Zambezi started operations about one year ago and now operate two leased B737-500 aircraft, each offering 12 premier business class and 99 economy class seats in a two class configuration. More information about the airline is available via www.flyzambezi.com RWANDA HOSTS UAE INVESTORS A recent visit to Rwanda by leading investments groups from the United Arab Emirates resulted in a mutual call for closer ties, with Rwanda emphasizing that UAE based investments are welcome in the country. Relevant to this column was the high priority area of investments in the hospitality sector, where Rwanda is aiming at doubling the number of rooms presently available in the country to further support wildlife based and conference tourism. In a related development Rwanda is now also working progressively towards adopting the EAC recommendations on standards, grading and classification of hospitality businesses to give visitors a clearer image of what to expect in terms of quality of their chosen hotel or safari lodge. KIGALI TO GO WIRELESS News emerged earlier in the week about plans by government to create a wireless environment for the entire capital city Kigali while at the same time linking the rest of the country to a fibre optic network. While in Rwanda recently this correspondent already saw preparations in full swing to lay fibre optic cables to the key centres of the country, and when the global fibre optic links, presently two of them already landed in Mombasa or, in the case of another provider, about to be connected at the Kenyan coast, are finally switched on, Rwanda too will benefit from the IT revolution presently sweeping the world. No details on the cost of the services for users was immediately available though. In a related development in neighbouring Tanzania it was learned that the fibre optic sea bed cable has also been landed in Dar es Salaam recently and was formally launched by President Kikwete on Thursday. Similarly, in Kenya the second fibre optic sea bed cable company is also due to go 'on line' by Thursday and once all the connections have been activated, Uganda too is expected to benefit via the national fibre optic back bone installed by both government and private telecoms companies. WHAT CRISIS SAYS RWANDA CIVIL AVIATION The global economic and financial crisis seems to have forgotten all about Rwanda's aviation sector, as the RCAA recorded a whopping increase of 17 percent for the year 2008, while the first few months of 2009 also continue to point upwards in terms of passengers handled, aircraft movements and cargo processed. Kanombe International Airport is undergoing some further work to keep it spic and span while a completely new international airport, the second in the country, is being built to cater for further growth in traffic. Rwanda is geographically well placed to reach the entire Eastern Congo and facilitate feeder traffic via Kigali into the growing number of intercontinental flights originating form there. Nearly 40 flights per week connect Rwanda with Nairobi and Entebbe now has three connections per day, a sharp contrast compared to as recent as 2006. FIRE DEVASTATES SECTION OF GORILLA PARK FOREST A forest fire over the weekend destroyed nearly 10 hectares of prime forest inside the famed 'Parc de Volcanoes', home to the mountain gorillas found along the border triangle of Rwanda, Uganda and the DR Congo. Local authorities are said to have successfully mobilised most of the local residents, many of whom are direct beneficiaries of tourism to the area, who set out to combat the fire on the ground. This assisted the efforts by the fire brigade and security services greatly and underscored the conservation mindset of communities living near the park. At one time the fire threatened to cross over to the Ugandan side of the border transcending national park but was eventually contained inside Rwanda but not on the Uganda side of the border. According to reports from the ground no gorillas were affected directly by the fire although other wildlife and birdlife has been displaced from the affected area while a number of beehives were also said to have been destroyed. This correspondent only recently went gorilla trekking in the very area of Rwanda now affected. Subsequent reports in the Ugandan media painted a rather grimmer picture about the extent of the fire inside the Ugandan Mgahinga National Park, where the initial response, after the alarm was raised on the Rwandan side, was not as determined, allowing the fire to spread more rapidly. Apparently Rwandan helicopters, used initially to douse the flames of the original fire from the air, were also assisting on the Ugandan side of the border. Latest information by the time of going to press confirms that most of the fire has been extinguished and otherwise been contained. ABYEI DECISION IS HANDED DOWN BY THE HAGUE ARBITRATION TRIBUNAL When the decision of the arbitration panel, put into place by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, was published on Wednesday this week, the ruling demanded that the 2005 borders, as set by the CPA (Comprehensive Peace Agreement) between the regime in Khartoum and the SPLA let liberation movement in the South, needed to be redrawn. It was not immediately clear what effect this will have on the size of the state and what it in particular means for the area of the rich oilfields, although the 'Higleg' field appears to have been apportioned to the North. The ruling on the borders of the Abyei state, once fully understood and made clear, will have a significant effect on the future of the hitherto disputed territory, when the Abyei population, alongside the general referendum in 2011, where the South Sudan decides on its own future, can determine if they too want to belong to the South. Abyei is presently under direct rule by the Sudanese presidency and widely expected to opt for belonging to the South, when the time comes to vote. Meanwhile, hawk eyes will watch the situation in coming months to ensure that no mischief is vented on the people of Abyei and that the area is not 'stuffed' with external people not actually belonging there to change the demographics and outcome of the referendum. GUIDE TO THE LITTLE KNOWN WATERFALLS OF ZAMBIA A guide book to many of the hitherto 'undiscovered' waterfalls in the Zambian wilderness was recently received by this correspondent, published in 2005 by Ilse Mwanza and Quentin Allen. The 180 page detailed guide, richly illustrated with pictures and maps, provides intrepid travellers and adventure seekers with a wealth of information about the 'lesser' known rivers across the country and the 150 waterfalls one can discover once going off the beaten tracks and venturing into the great African unknown. Detailed coordinates taken from GPS devices are of course published alongside the relevant information for each of the falls. More of them are undoubtedly still waiting to be 'found' and expeditions to Zambia for that purpose can be arranged by leading safari and adventure operators. A rating system for the 'newly' discovered waterfalls was also applied by the authors, giving a scale from 1 to 10, the latter for the most spectacular falls to be found. In addition the book provides ample descriptions of waterfall definitions, waterfalls types and a glossary of 'waterfalls terms', undoubtedly enriching the vocabulary of intending visitors. This correspondent, widely travelled of course across Eastern and Central Africa, came to realise what a gap still exists in his African travels, not having been to Zambia proper. Ilse Mwanza, a native of Germany, is the wife of former Zambian Central Bank Governor Dr. Jacob Mwanza and has lived since the late 1960's in Lusaka. Profound thanks go to Ilse for her kindness in sending the book by courier to Kampala and as we say here in Uganda 'Webare Nyo Nyo Nyo'. Interested readers can find the book under the following ISBN number: ISBN 9982-9952-0-0, distributed by Gadsden Books and printed by New Horizon Printing Press, Lusaka, Zambia. HAPPY BIRTHDAY 'MADIBA' Nelson Mandela celebrated his 91st birthday last weekend with a big show in New York, where a number of global celebrities and personalities were at hand to witness the event and perform. Mandela, a true African liberation hero, found his already bigger than life stature in South Africa made all the more remarkable by his decision to serve only one term of office as President of South Africa. This is nearly unprecedented in the African political environment, where 'leaders' often try to hang on to office well beyond their 'sell by' dates. Mandela is an inspiration for the young generation of Africa wishing and aspiring to live in a peaceful and democratic environment where all races, tribes, religions and cultures can coexist and prosper. A very Happy Birthday wish from this columnist, who considers 'Madiba' Nelson Mandela as 'The' African freedom fighter, liberator, statesman and global personality of the 20th and 21st century. And in keeping with tradition, here are some more tourism and related tidbits, taken from the 'Livingstone Weekly' written and distributed by Gill Staden in Livingstone / Zambia. I should add that the articles are often illustrated and if by any chance, when this column is reproduced, the pictures are omitted, write to me directly and I shall be happy to send an 'illustrated' version. Agricultural Show Livingstone has just had a Southern Tourism and Agricultural Show. Being a good reporter, I took myself off to go and see on the second day, Saturday. The show was held on a field at the back of the Showgrounds because the Showgrounds are full of squatters ... Days before the actual show, people had been out in the area chopping down bushes; cleaning the place up; erecting their shelters and generally preparing the area. A fence had been put up around the field. On Saturday when I was there, the parking was a bit difficult … I think the organizers had forgotten this bit … all the cars were strewn along the side of the mud track leading to the entrance … Taxi drivers were in and out like yoyos, driving as only taxi drivers know how to drive … At the entrance there was a mass of people wanting to go in but it was K5,000 entrance fee and it was fairly obvious that a lot of them didn't have the money … and just hoped they could squeeze in when no-one was looking. Once inside we walked around looking at all the stands. The biggest section was the agricultural one. There were loads of stands which showed different farming produce &endash; lots of different types of beans, some of which I had never heard of. I loved the Personal Energy Transport. There was a stall from a company, Dennis Turf Irrigation Systems, that was just setting up in Livingstone selling irrigation systems. They are operating from home right now but if you want to contact them try 0977 724605 or 0955 836801. They had a lot of sprinkler equipment from pop-ups to drippy ones. Wandering further around we came to Limbo Lodge and then to Livingstone Adventures who had brought along a couple of horses to give rides to the children. They also had one of their quad bikes on display. Well done, Daan, for making an effort. Because that really was the sum total of the tourism representation. There was a bit of a complaint about the lack of tourism companies … but I will come on to that later … In the centre of the field was a big arena &endash; or a big empty space of cleared bush … however you want to term it … At one side there was a lot of noise from a loudspeaker and on a small stage there was some youngsters joining in a dancing competition. Still walking around I came across a stand which was the Meteorological Department. I didn't know that we had one in Livingstone. I was told that 18 people were employed in this department to give us weather forecasts and monitor the weather. I have an email address too. So for those of you who want to find out if it is going to be a sunny day tomorrow, try zmds@microlink.zm.       Further on we came to the tent for the dignitaries. It was virtually empty. Then we reached another stand &endash; ZRA. I asked why the dignitary tent was virtually empty. I was told that the show had not yet been officially opened … they hoped that the Minister would come in the afternoon … I thought to myself, maybe it might be an idea if he came to close it instead …   Our last port of call was to see Cliff Cowboy and his friends with the solar cookers. These solar cookers are fantastically simple &endash; just a cardboard box with silver paper lining. A black pot is filled with the food, wrapped in a plastic bag and left to cook in the sun … and it works …   Now … I digress … but bring in my little story about 'the WHY' …   Agricultural Shows used to be big things in the past … during those terrible colonial days … They were originally started so that farmers could buy, sell, compare, discuss all farming issues. The shows were an invention of the commercial farmers because there was a need for it (the WHY). Nowadays, the commercial farmers do not see a need for a show … But the show has restarted because people want a show … it is not for commercial reasons … they just want a show … So, during my walk around I saw few commercial companies participating; it was mostly government departments, NGOs and Associations.   So, this brings me back to the lack of tourism companies attending the show … There is no advantage to them to attend (the WHY). Although it would be nice to see some of the tourism companies there, it does not make any commercial sense at all; it does not promote their business.   So, we have Show and all the folk seemed to be enjoying themselves. But until the commercial companies can see some advantage in attending, it will be mostly made up of people who just want a show … and it is a good way of not going to the office too … And, probably we get out-of-hours allowance for attending??? It's a bit like having a meeting … (some of you will understand that …)       From one of dwindling numbers of tourists   This was sent by to one of the lodge operators in Zambia: Returned from Lower Zambezi NP & Mazabuka via Kazungula on Sunday - for the first time we had to pay an EXIT Council Levy of ZMK40,000 on top of the initial Council levy on arrival? Botswana border took 10mins and with 3 ferries operating the Zambezi crossing was quick - Zambian customs took further 2 hrs! Certainly not a tourist friendly destination.   This was the lodge owners response: I would dearly love to make a stink about this in the media!  As if it isn't difficult and expensive enough to get into Zambia travellers are now faced with an EXIT council levy.  Surely this is somehow illegal?    If you are interested to see what people have to say about Zambia take a look at www.4x4community.co.za and click on the "Overland Advice" section then "Zambia".  Myself and several other Zambians contribute constantly to keep trying to encourage people to visit us but it is SO embarrassing that they have to go through something like this!       From Kingsley Limbo Lodge and Chairman of the Livingstone Tourism Association   I had an opportunity to discuss the Airport Coke advert with the MD for National Airports Corporation. The advert is temporal due to reasons that he gave me. ... Be assured that the advert is not going to be there for good.         From The Standard, 12 July Exclusive: Ministers in illicit rhino horn trade   A massive official cover-up could be underway after police investigations into the ballooning illegal trade in rhino horns netted two Zanu PF ministers. Investigations by The Standard show that a police crack unit following the trail of rhino poachers ended up at the doorsteps of Zanu PF politicians who cannot be named, at least for now, because of the complexity of the case. The two politicians have been saved from prosecution after the dockets "mysteriously disappeared" from the magistrates' court recently. Judicial sources said yesterday the dockets were too hot to handle. "No one wanted to take the case because we all know that cases involving high-profile people are always covered up," said one of the sources. He also revealed that prosecutors feared they could burn their fingers if they dared to take up the sensitive case. Officials keen to see the prosecution of the senior government officials yesterday expressed frustration at the way the matter was handled. They said a heavy lid slammed on the case could discourage detectives who were keen to stamp out poaching activities. Over the past two weeks, The Standard has talked to people familiar with the case. What is unmistakable is that people fear their lives could be in trouble if their involvement in the case is publicised.   While Attorney-General Johannes Tomana could not be reached to explain circumstances surrounding the case, Environmental and Natural Resources Management Minister, Francis Nhema admitted on Thursday that senior Zanu PF officials had been implicated in the resurgent cases of rhino poaching. Although he refused to identify those implicated, Nhema said the government was investigating cases where some ministers were allegedly involved. Nhema's admission coincided with a new report by the Convention on Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) saying 12 rhinos were now being poached each month in South Africa and Zimbabwe. The report said rhino poaching was poised to hit a 15-year high driven by Asian demand for horns. In Zimbabwe, the situation was said to be dire because people who were caught dealing in rhino trade illegally, escaped prosecution because of their political connections. "Yes, it might be possible that some government officials are abusing their powers and are involved in rhino poaching but we do not have the names. We are still investigating the matter," Nhema said. "The HE (President Mugabe) is even concerned about the issue. He asked me for the names of the ministers involved."   Nhema said an unnamed minister was implicated in a case where a Chinese national was arrested for poaching rhinos. "We made our investigations and we found out that the person who was very close to the minister was the one who was using the minister's name," Nhema said. He said the government had stepped up anti-rhino poaching campaigns and last week the minister commissioned 11 Toyota Landcruisers for the programme. The Zimbabwe Conservation Trust chairman, Johnny Rodrigues said they were also carrying out their own investigations into reports that government officials were behind some poaching syndicates. "It's true that there is an increase in rhino poaching in Zimbabwe and the situation is getting out of hand," Rodrigues said. "Three weeks ago two rhinos were killed in Hwange and we are positive that some top people in the government are involved. Right now we have the names of some senior officials who are implicated but we can not release their names because investigations are still underway."   Rodrigues said people were blaming foreigners for poaching yet senior government officials were also involved. "We cannot blame foreigners only because there are also people from the top who are involved. There are cases where some members of the army were shot by the anti-poaching team and it's quite clear that these soldiers were sent by very influential people," he said. According to the Cites report, rhino poaching is threatening the success of more than a decade's work of bringing the rhino population back to healthy levels. Cites expresses concern with the way cases of poaching were being handled in the courts. "For example, earlier this week a parks ranger arrested with overwhelming evidence against him for having killed three rhinos in the Chipinge Safari Area was acquitted without any satisfactory explanation for the verdict," reads the report. "Similarly in September 2008 a gang of four Zimbabwean poachers who admitted to killing 18 rhinos were also freed in a failed judiciary process." A rhino horn can sell for thousands of dollars on the black market. Zimbabwe's rhino population is believed to have declined from about 830 in 2007 to 740 at the end of last year despite an excellent birth rate in monitored herds. Last month a Chinese national appeared at the Harare Magistrates' Court after he was caught with 21.5 kg of tusks . He had no licence. Wang Xuebin (49), who is accused of Contravening Section 59 (2) of the Parks and Wildlife Act Chapter 20:14, was remanded out of custody.   WILD CAPTURED ELEPHANTS SCHEDULED FOR RELEASE Yay &endash; incredible news...well done Glynis, ZNSPCA and the Zimbabwe. Will keep you updated on rehabilitation of these ellies ! ZNSPCA PRESS STATEMENT ON WILD CAPTURED ELEPHANTS HELD CAPTIVE AT SONDELANI RANCH ZNSPCA are pleased to inform the international community that the ten wild elephants captured by Basil Steyn for commercial purposes are scheduled for release. ZNSPCA would like to thank the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Honourable Minister Nhema, the Attorney General's offices, officials from the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources and National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority for their integral role in the release of these abused elephants. We are proud of our Ministry's recognition of animal cruelty and the prevention of such acts. Furthermore, ZNSPCA extends its gratitude to elephant specialists Karen Trendler and Dr. Lucy Bates whose reports clearly indicated that these elephants had been subjected to cruelty. We acknowledge the role of Dr. A. Dube (BVSc Zim) who carried out the veterinary inspection of the elephants. These specialists' opinions, and the ZNSPCA Inspectorate reports have paved the way for a brighter future for these elephants. This cruel capture resulted in ZNSPCA having numerous meetings with National Parks and it has been agreed that Parks will organise workshops with relevant stakeholders in order to address loopholes and prevent such incidents re-occurring in the Country. Controls and codes of conduct for the management of the remaining wild elephants in captivity will also be put in place. ZNSPCA commends National Parks on this positive move These ten elephants will require rehabilitation before they are released. Following advice on ownership issues from legal experts, the elephants will be released from the boma into Sondelani Ranch estate. ZNSPCA Inspectorate will be approaching relevant experts to assist with the rehabilitation of the ten elephants. ZNSPCA requires that all ten elephants be micro chipped before they are released in order to protect them in the future, that they may be traced any time. The public will be kept appraised of our progress. Poaching figures contrast with SA's reputation WYNDHAM HARTLEY Published: 2009/07/01 06:38:05 AM A HUGE number of rhinos - 45 white rhinos and two endangered black rhinos &emdash; have been poached in the Kruger National Park in the past 15 months, Water and Environment Minister Buyelwa Sonjica said in a report that was tabled yesterday. Sonjica's admission that so many rhinos had been poached is in sharp contrast to SA's international reputation of having been instrumental in saving the white rhino, particularly, from extinction. … The minister replied that last year one black rhino and 35 white rhinos were poached. In the first three months of this year a further 10 white rhinos and another black rhino were illegally killed. In addition to this information, the minister provided a comprehensive list of animals poached in the park, including buffalo, bushbuck, duiker, fish species, kudu, lion, giraffe and even hyena.   RWANDAIR IS REBRANDING Rwanda's national airline is set to rebrand its image in the market by dropping the 'Express' formerly contained in the business name, and by adding a new tag line 'Fly our dream to the Heart of Africa'. This column has in the past reported that the airline was developing a new 5 year business plan and a new strategic plan, and the results of this work will show in a range of actions expected to now unfold in coming months. The new 'RwandAir' &endash; incidentally sampled by this correspondent recently when flying to and from Kigali, is expected to become a premium full service carrier in the region. A recent comprehensive code share agreement with Brussels Airlines now in fact allows RwandAir to sell tickets to Brussels and beyond on their own tickets, substantially widening their scope. A new online reservations and payment platform is also being launched, making bookings on-line not just possible but following the global trend to allow passengers direct access to making their own travel arrangements, should they so prefer. The new features will become effective in August this year. This will coincide with a new look website, also due out soon. Well done indeed! INTERNATIONAL GORILLA FORUM HELD IN KIGALI A one day meeting in Kigali on the 17th June was dedicated to the conservation of the endangered mountain gorilla, of which less than 800 now survive in the mountainous border region of Rwanda, Uganda and the DR Congo. A large number of conservationists but also interested groups of the tourism industry and society at large assembled in Kigali yesterday to discuss, and map out a road map ahead under the theme 'Challenges and Opportunities for Gorilla Conservation in the Greater Virunga Massive'. The United Nations have declared this as the 'Year of the Gorilla' and it is hoped that the many activities in Rwanda, like the culmination of a week long series of festivities, meetings and seminars towards 'Kwita Izina' on Saturday will help to focus on sustainable coexistence of conservation and economic utilisation of this God gifted wildlife resource, for which Rwanda has become known across the world. As the country rose from the ashes of the 1994 genocide 15 years ago, sustainable tourism was at the forefront of economic activity and development and the tourism sector now ranks high amongst other mainstream sectors. This was the second such conference meeting of its kind to be held alongside 'Kwita Izina', itself now in its fifth year, and will according to RDB / ORTPN sources become an annual event too, as the findings and recommendations of the meeting would be absorbed into policy decisions and added conservations measures taken by ORTPN in the future. Rosette Rugamba, Head of ORTPN and Deputy CEO of the Rwanda Development Board, who also spoke at the event, reaffirmed that while gorilla tracking still made up the bulk of tourist visitors activities in the country, efforts were underway to diversify the tourism products on offer and in particular the Nyungwe National Park was starting to receive more visitors as a result of extra supporting marketing activities. The main 'naming' ceremony for the recently born gorilla babies will be held on Saturday near the 'Volcanoes National Park' or 'Parc de Volcanoes', since Rwanda is a country where both English and French are common languagues, besides the main vernacular 'kinyarwanda'.   A full interview with Mrs. Rosette Rugamba will be published in due course in this column. KHARTOUM WITHDRAWS FROM THE EU COTONOU AGREEMENTS Latest news from Khartoum now indicate that the regime has given notice to the EU that is to withdraw from the Cotonou partnership agreement amendments signed in 2005 with the group of African, Caribbean and Pacific countries. The move is likely to further isolate the regime in Khartoum and has already met with growing protests from the semi-autonomous region of Southern Sudan, where the government in Juba was in fact seeking to intensify cooperation with the EU and other bilateral partners. Should the decision hold firm, U-turns are not unusual with the regime leaders in Khartoum, it would give further impetus to a growing movement of secession in the South, which will vote on their independence in a referendum in 2011. Reports from Juba in fact suggested to this column that it was Khartoum's issues with the ICC, which prompted the decision, after in a global first an arrest warrant was issued against a sitting president, accused of war crimes in Darfur. Available funding worth up to 300 million Euros is now in doubt, a heavy blow for those Sudanese in need of support to help reduce poverty in the country and bring health services and education closer to the people. Watch this space.   and in closing again some news from further down south, courtesy of Gill Staden's 'Livingstonian': Inter-Company Relay 27 June Zambia Amateur Athletic Association (ZAAA) will host this Relay. Organisations can participate: 10 km relay race at K1,000,000 per team of 5 people 500 metres Chief Executive Race at K500,000 per executive 7 km Health Walk at K100,000 per walker 500 metre Children's Races at K25,000 per child 7 km Paralympics Race at K100,000 10 km individual race at K50,000 per person Product Display at K300,000 Contact Fred Mwendapole on 0977 852308       Vic Falls Marathon 23 August   Full Marathon (42.2km), Half Marathon (21.2km) and Fun Run (5km) All races will start opposite the Kingdom Hotel and finish at the Vic Falls Primary School   ENTRY FEES Marathon entry fee Other - without package - $50 Marathon entry fee Zim/Zam/Nam/Bots Residents - $30 Marathon entry fee Zam/Nam/Bots Citizens - $20 Marathon entry fee Zim Citizens - $10 Fun run - $2 Official Marathon Sunset cruise (cruise & transfer) - $20 Official Marathon party international incl transfer without package - $20 Offical Marathon party SA res incl transfer without package - R150 Zambezi Man - $365   See the website: vicfallsmarathon.com     Canned Hunting A court decision in favour of government on canned hunting could be the end of the road for South Africa's 123 lion breeders and some 3000 canned lions, the Volksblad newspaper reported on Friday. This follows a verdict in the High Court in Bloemfontein on Thursday that semi-tame animals may only be hunted 24 months after being set free from their breeding cages, the report said. Judge Ian van der Merwe held, in favour of government, that biodiversity must be protected and that the breeding of lions in captivity with the sole purpose of hunting did not aid their protection. The report said the lion breeders' request that the period of 24 months in the regulations be changed to "a few days" was dismissed with costs. Spokesman for the department of water affairs and forestry Albi Modise said the government welcomes the verdict. "This means that the reprehensible practice of canned hunting has most certainly come to an end," he was quoted as saying. Chairman of the SA Predator Breeders Association, Carel van Heerden, said the judgment was regrettable. "It feels like someone has kicked me in the stomach," he was quoted as saying. "The practical implications of the verdict are devastating to our industry and to all the people involved in the industry. It means that 5000 breadwinners will soon lose their jobs, and about 3000 (semi-tame) lions will have to be put down." Van Heerden said the financial implications for members of the association and the damage it would cause to the hunting and tourism industry in South Africa were incalculable. He said the association's legal team would study the verdict and then decide if they would appeal the decision.   UGANDAN BUDGET READ AT KAMPALA SERENA CONFERENCE CENTRE As demand for visitor's and observer seats for the annual budget readings seems to grow every year, and with seats on the visitor gallery in the traditional parliamentary chamber rather limited, this year's budget reading was held at the main auditorium of the Kampala Serena Conference Centre. There the largest of several halls can seat in excess of 2.000 people. The much awaited budget in Uganda for the financial year 2009/2010 also brought smiles on the faces of the tourism stakeholders, as import taxes on dedicated tourist vehicles were scrapped and the sector was allocated up to 2 billion Uganda Shillings or about 930.000 US Dollars for marketing. While this sum is still considered by industry experts as too little, it is nevertheless an improvement compared to previous years and should help the Uganda Tourist Board to establish a better presence in the market place. The announcement however must be taken with a grain of salt, as in the past allocated sums differed at times widely from the actual funds eventually transferred, so the real impact of this figure remains to be seen as UTB now tailors an action plan around the projected funds and has it cleared by the Ministry of Tourism, Trade and Industry for implementation. The main thrust of this year's budget in Uganda were once again roads, education and health and agriculture, which were allocated a staggering 49 percent of the overall projected expenditure in 2009/10 of a budget now totalling nearly 7.334 billion Uganda Shillings. This represents a 15 percent increase compared to last year, which considering the present inflation rate announced yesterday of 12.4 percent, indicates a progressive spending trend aimed at fighting the economic downturn. Growth last year still stood at 7 percent across the Ugandan economy inspite of the harsh global environment which unfolded last year with record fuel prices and the onset of the global financial crisis. In comparison, the Kenya budget went up by some 25 percent, the Tanzania budget went up by 31 percent while Rwanda added some 24 percent in budgetary forecasts, well above inflationary trends and also aimed to offset the economic crisis unleashed upon them by the developed world through extra spending. In Kenya the tourism sector too managed to breathe a small sigh of relief, when dedicated tourist vehicles &endash; ordinarily 4 x 4's &endash; were given import tax exemption while the tourism marketing budget, following a last ditch effort by KTB, KTF and other industry stakeholders was allocated a combined 1.2 billion Kenya Shillings for the tourist board, the Kenya Tourist Development Corporation and additional one off marketing activities in 2009/10. It is understood however that the private sector, together with the tourist board, will make representations to government to increase the KTB marketing budget in coming months to at least partly match the massive spending presently underway by both Egypt and South Africa, which will next year of course host the FIFA World Cup, an event thought to benefit South Africa's tourism sector like no other event before. Comments seen from all tourism industry leaders were unanimous that greater funding is required to market the country and calls were renewed to commit a fixed percentage of tourism's earnings in coming years for marketing purposes, if the ambitious projections for arrivals in coming years are to be met. Sadly no data were immediately available from Burundi on their budgetary forecasts but all efforts will be made to rectify this and obtain data relevant to the tourism sector and the economy overall. In a related development in Uganda it was announced that the dreaded plastic bags would now all be banned by the end of the year 2009, allowing for existing stocks to be utilised until then. Previously plastic bags were only banned below a certain strength, but their impact on the environment, as predicted already way back in the 1990's, could now no longer be ignored by government. It is expected that paper bags will have to replace the plastic ones' or else one has to go shopping in the future with the traditional baskets and woven bags. The ban also extends to liquids in plastic bottles, where in particular empty water bottles are now littering the entire country. No information could be obtained however at short notice if water would be exempt or if the producers will have to switch to cartons or reusable glass bottles from 2010 onwards. It is appreciated that clean drinking water is hugely important but the rubbish heaps have been growing exponentially and there seems no other solution in sight. The importation of old computers and related equipment, often a disguise in the past to 'dump' desolate goods in the country, was also prohibited with immediate effect, a move also applauded by industry experts, especially as new computers are now duty exempt and therefore not just more affordable but also protected by warranty and sure to have legal programme contents. Overall, the tenor of comments of the business fraternity across the Eastern African region was a positive one, as there were no significant tax increases and the domestic markets were spared of unpredictable one off measures aimed to increase revenue for government while hampering economic growth.   AFRICA &endash; ASIA BUSINESS FORUM 'V' OPENS IN KAMPALA The fifth Africa &endash; Asia Business Meeting opened on Monday morning under the theme of: 'Forging Business Linkages for Sustainable Tourism Development in Africa' at the Speke Hotel and Conference Centre in Munyonyo &endash; Kampala's premier lakeside resort and meeting facility. None other than President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni opened the gathering, which will extend until Wednesday this week. In his address the President highlighted the fact that the Forum was for the first time entirely focusing on tourism, held at an appropriate moment in time as the world faced an economic downturn and needed to gain fresh momentum for growth. He also paid tribute to the sector as one of the fastest growing in Africa, but decried the lack of more investment from around the world in particular in Uganda, but also the rest of Africa, where magnificent sceneries, intact ecosystems and fabulous wildlife await visitors. In fact the President included the tourism opportunities in neighbouring countries too, especially Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Eastern Congo and Southern Sudan, all of which he thought should work hand in hand to promote their God given attractions. True to form the President also for a while left his script and gave a sweeping historical update of the African continent which prompted much applause from the visitors from the Asian continent. In fact the President did say that while crops are important in the country's context, tourism resources like parks and forests must be protected, considering that tourism was now bringing more money into the country than coffee exports. The President also revealed that a 5 year development plan was supporting sensitisation of communities towards tourism's benefits while infrastructural projects would provide access to remote areas interesting for visitors from abroad. While at it the President also spoke of the need for a greater focus on human resource development and skills transfers, so as to provide a properly trained workforce for the sector, able to compete with other global destinations on quality. This top level support to the tourism fraternity was well noted and has also been appreciated by all participants. Both private and public sectors are represented at the meeting and key Asian and African countries represented on ministerial or ambassadorial level. In fact, fellow eTN correspondent Alain St. Ange from the Seychelles attend the meeting as head of delegation, representing the Seychelles Tourist Board. While the public sector represented will during the next two days discuss largely policy issues and cooperation on a regional and global basis with their Asian counterparts present, the private sector will primarily engage in business to business sessions, listen to and watch presentations about market trends and generally brainstorm how to best counter the present global economic and financial crisis, which affects tourism destinations depending on the sector's contributions to their respective economies very hard. Plenary sessions will be interspersed by 'Negotiating Sessions' providing for one on one meetings and group sessions for those interested to create synergies, pooling their resources and joining hands to achieve common objectives. The Uganda Tourist Board, the Uganda Wildlife Authority and the country's private sector used the opportunity to make an impression on the visitors from Africa and Asia and promote their wide range of nature based attractions. Amongst those present from Uganda was Cam McLeay, the CEO of Adrift Uganda, a company specialised in adventure activities along the upper Nile &endash; like White Water Rafting, Bungee Jumping and Jet Boat tours on the lake &endash; besides some other prominent participants well known to this correspondent from the entire region. The meeting was put together and sponsored by The Government of Japan, the United Nations Development Programme, UNIDO, the UN World Tourism Organization, the UN Office of the Special Advisor on Africa and the World Bank. The Government of Uganda and the Ministry of Tourism, Trade and Industry too played a major role to facilitate the meeting. Event organizers expected some 250 participants but many more did eventually show up, a clear sign that there was intense interest in this fifth edition of AABF V in particular from the East African region. Visit the following websites for more information on the meeting's objectives: www.ticad.net and www.ticadexchange.org As to the venue, visit www.spekeresort.com should you wish to learn more about this fabulous location at the shores of Lake Victoria.   AABF MEETING CONTINUES AT MUNYONYO The Africa &endash; Asia Business Forum continues into its second day, with attendances remaining high and interest levels in fact further up, following a successful first day of presentations and interaction. The first day proceedings ended deep into the evening, yet attendance remained high and few left prematurely. A hosted dinner by the TICAD organizers rounded up the evening with more social interaction between the delegates, while the main purpose of making business contacts was never fare from any of the discussions witnessed. The second day was launched by none other than Kenyan Minister of Tourism, Hon. Najib Balala, who flew into the country the previous night, having just returned the same day from a major sales and marketing mission into Eastern Europe. Hon. Balala drew much applause from the large number of Ugandans in attendance, when he made 'good weather' over the present dispute between the two countries over a little rock outcrop in Lake Victoria, where a joint commission is presently studying the exact boundaries. The press in both countries has in the past tried to inflame public opinion by deliberate misquotes but the Minister's reassurance was warmly received in Kampala. In his presentation the Minister then emphasized on the need of joint tourism promotional activities, since the sector is a major employer across the entire region and brings arguably the most foreign exchange into the respective national coffers, the same sentiment voiced the previous day by President Museveni during his opening address. Further key note speakers were the former Indian Minister of Tourism and now his country's Representative to the UN WTO, followed by the Cameroonian Minister of Tourism and finally Amb. Susan Sikaneta, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Sports, Youth and Child Development in Lusaka / Zambia, all of whom added relevant experience and raised points of concern to the entire tourism sector in African countries. These main policy sessions ended in time for a late lunch, while the media were able to pose questions to the assembled 'who is who' of the summit. The afternoon of the second day also saw a number of invited guests take a boat ride from Munyonyo directly to Ngamba Island on Lake Victoria, now a dedicated chimpanzee sanctuary, where Wild Frontiers is operating a small but fine safari camp for visitors wishing to stay overnight or longer. Other participants took advantage of pre-scheduled B2B sessions, where direct business contacts were discussed and expanded. At the end of a long day's work the Government of Uganda, through the Ministry of Tourism, Trade and Industry, hosted the event's Gala Dinner at the same venue, where the Commonwealth Heads of State enjoyed their get together during their Kampala Summit.   BRITISH AIRWAYS TO UP FLIGHTS TO FIVE A WEEK After years of 'idle mode' has BA now announced that from late 2009 they will add two more flights a week between London Heathrow and Entebbe, then offering 5 connections each week. For long have travellers asked the British airline to add more frequencies, but BA left the growth until now to other airlines like Emirates, KLM, Brussels Airlines and Ethiopian, all of whom kept adding flights or changed to larger aircraft over the past years. BA is the only airline with nonstop connections to the UK, and while more costly for connecting Ugandans due to the added 'transit Visa' cost, still popular with travellers. This column will nearer to the time report progress and confirm, if indeed the airline's plans will materialise. Keep watching this space.   EGYPT AIR ANNOUNCES TERMINAL CHANGE IN CAIRO The Egyptian national airline has through their offices in Kampala confirmed a change of location and terminal at Cairo's international airport. The airline is now operating out of the new Terminal 3, which is also the new home of all other Star Alliance partners flying in and out of Cairo. The airline expects improved service delivery in handling of arrivals, departures and connecting passengers, many of whom come or go to Entebbe in Uganda and to the other airports served in the Eastern African region by regular scheduled flights of Egypt Air. It was also learned at the same time that Egypt Air was eying Lusaka and Douala as new destinations, with flights expected to commence later in the year.   FOREST RANGER KILLED BY LAND HUNGRY MOB One forest ranger deployed at the Mt. Elgon National Park has lost his life over the last weekend when a mob of agitated illegal squatters went on rampage after they had weapons confiscated by the park staff. Another ranger was seriously injured when he was hacked with a 'panga', a common farming implement also used as a weapon by criminals. The park has a notorious history over illegal encroachment, often covertly supported by local politicians, in direct conflict with the existing laws covering the operation of the Uganda Wildlife Authority, and in other places the National Forest Authority. Some 500 hectares of land are claimed by the lawbreakers but the most recent redrawing of park boundaries shows the disputed area inside the national park, not outside. The locals involved in the fracas have a history of such murderous activities, as way back in 2002 they already killed rangers in cold blood to underscore their claims. Police and other security organs are said to be hunting for those responsible and this column expresses condolences to the family and friends of the deceased ranger.   ANOTHER RAMSAR SITE FOR UGANDA The Rwenzori Mountain National Park along the border with Congo DR was very recently also declared a Ramsar site in view of its importance as a major water catchment area of key importance for the populations living nearby the mountain range and along the Albertine Graben. This is the twelfth such site in Uganda, a remarkable achievement and evidence towards an active conservation policy of government, although some sections of the conservation fraternity will probably dispute this statement due to ongoing inconsistencies in the implementation of such conservation policies and doubtful rulings by NEMA. The new Ramsar site covers nearly 100.000 hectares of area and reaches right up to the mountain tops. Well done Uganda.   MURCHISONS FERRIES GET NEW ENGINES A source at the Uganda Wildlife Authority has recently confirmed that the main ferry crossing the river Nile at Paraa / Murchisons Falls National Park, has received two brand new engines, donated by the European Union. This will be good news for users as the reliability of the ferry crossings can now be improved and 'down' times will considerably reduce, permitting more crossings for tourists and transit traffic at convenient times.   KTB TO MARKET KENYA IN EASTERN EUROPE A dedicated marketing blitz will unfold in Russia, Poland and the Czech Republic next week in order to attract tourist visitors from these countries and establish the possibilities of having inclusive tour charters bring their nationals directly to the Kenya coast or even consider scheduled flights by their respective airlines to Nairobi. Kenyan Tourist Minister Najib Balala will lead the combined public / private sector delegation to underscore the importance of the mission.   KENYA AIRWAYS NOW ADDS MALABO TO NETWORK An announcement was received earlier in the week that Kenya Airways will add a twice weekly flight from Nairobi to Malabo / Equatorial Guinea commencing first week of July. The ongoing network expansion to viable destinations across Africa is in line with KQ's strategic plan to eventually cover all commercially important cities across the continent with either direct or nonstop flights from and to Nairobi. Well done KQ, truly the 'Pride of Africa'. It was also learned that the Seychelles will get a third weekly flight from beginning of July this year, which will make Nairobi an ideal connection point for holidays between Eastern Africa and the island nation.   AIR PASSENGER NUMBERS IN AFRICA DROP BY 7 PERCENT While below the global average drop experienced by airlines on all continents, the 7 percent figure recently published for the African continent is nevertheless alarming for airlines, as it eats deep into their passenger base and many marginal operations, in the East African region and across Africa are now under threat for the financial survival. The big airlines on the continent, notably Kenya Airways and Ethiopian Airlines in East Africa, South African Airways, Egypt Air and upcoming Royal Air Maroc, seem slightly better off due to their presence in global alliances and their developed hub and spoke connections via their main home airports. In contrast, point to point airlines, often poorly capitalised and using aged aircraft, will need all the luck and blessings they can get to survive the present downturn. Demands by ICAO on bringing African aviation into the 21st century and uplifting the below average safety performance of African airlines is also thought to cost more money than some airlines have available, leading to a likely further reduction in actually operating and duly licensed airlines. It was also learned that a continent wide aviation leadership forum will take place in Nairobi later in the year, aimed at further educating the sector and bringing the latest knowledge, skills and information to the aviation fraternity across Eastern Africa.   DELTA TO CUT INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS As the rumour mill is busy at work in Kenya, speculating over the real reasons behind the sudden cancellation of the intended Delta flights from Atlanta to Nairobi a couple of weeks ago, yet more bad news have emerged from Delta's head office. The airline intends to make 'deep cuts' in their international schedules in coming weeks, reaching up to 20 percent in transatlantic traffic, 15 percent across their international network and overall, including their domestic network, still at least 10 percent of all present flights. Earlier in the year Delta had already indicated a cut of at least 10 percent across their international network, but this has now gone up significantly &endash; also shedding a new light on their recent decision to delay their Kenya flights still further, at the time blamed on obscure 'Department of Homeland Security' advice. The bad vibes in Kenya and the region were further fuelled when news emerged that Delta was also intent to halting their service to Cape Town in South Africa. This added credibility to the rumours that the so called 'advice' from Homeland Security was welcome news for them to stop the Kenya flights before they began, as the economic crisis at home, faced yet again with rising fuel cost, made Delta rather postpone this venture than running deeper into the red on their balance sheets. Watch this space.   MOMBASA FERRIES CAUSE CHAOS AGAIN Reports reached this correspondent from the Kenyan coast that two of the ferries connecting the Mombasa island with the South Coast, broke down again last weekend, once more causing chaos for departing and arriving tourist and the 'wananchi', a Kiswahili word for 'people' who had to miss work or shopping trips into the city. New ferries are being readied in Germany and are expected to arrive in Mombasa later in the year, but meanwhile the aged ferries presently in use keep breaking down ever so often. Reportedly two smaller ferries normally operating on a different route, were drafted into service at the main harbour channel crossing by Kenya Ferry Services management, but it proved too little too late, as the traffic jam reached miles on both sides of the channel. In a commendable development however the ferry staff reportedly identified those in the queue who had to meet their flight departure times and apparently guided them on to the ferry bypassing other less urgent traffic. This commendable situation was however, also according to reports from Mombasa, met with howling protests of others sitting in the queues, in particular truck drivers. There were no reports this time of tourists actually missing flights therefore but the bottle neck situation will remain a constant threat to regular traffic until the new ferries have been delivered to the company in Mombasa.   KENYA BUZZ OFFERS BUSINESS GUIDE For anyone interested to invest in Kenya, this has now been made easier for 'new comers'. 'Kenya Buzz', the country's premier e-guide for events, has now published a handbook how to go about setting up a business without running into too much red tape or missing crucial steps along the way. The handbook costs 500 Kenya Shillings and for enquiries from outside Kenya write to thebuzz@kenyabuzz.com or visit their website www.kenyabuzz.com   KARIBU TRADE FAIR ENDS ON POSITIVE NOTE East Africa's main international tourism trade fair, the 'Karibu Tourism Trade Show' in Arusha, closed its doors last week after several successful but reportedly hectic days for exhibitors and visitors. 108 delegates for the trade forum came from 18 countries across Africa, Europe and North America but also from India and Pakistan. The trade show proper attracted 252 exhibitors, taking up all the available spaces, while leaving others who booked late out in the cold. By the time of closing it was already recommended to book spaces very early for next year, when in fact the demand is expected to be up again and when also more space will be availed to cater for growth. Detailed reports on the trade fair and its participants are available from the organizers and interested parties can write to kaributtf@cybernet.co.tz to be mailed the respective information.   ARUSHA'S 'MOUNT MERU HOTEL' DUE FOR UPGRADE Once the leading hotel in Arusha, the Mt. Meru Hotel, formerly even managed under the French owned 'Novotel' brand, has gone into decline, compared with the newly build or more recently refurbished and upgraded rival properties. This anomaly will now however be corrected as the present owners have signed a 24 million US Dollars loan agreement with regional and domestic financial institutions. The funds will be used to completely refurbish and modernize the hotel, which has reportedly been closed for a while now awaiting the commencement of construction. Work should begin in earnest in the very near future and is expected to finish by the end of 2010. At that stage the hotel is expected to once again offer 4 star standards across their 200 suites and rooms and will offer enhanced meeting, recreational and restaurant facilities.   FLY 540 TANZANIA TO OFFER FLIGHTS TO THE SERENGETI News have been received that the Tanzanian operation of regional low cost / high value carrier Fly540 is to commence scheduled daily flights between Kilimanjaro International Airport near Arusha to the heart of the Serengeti in just a few weeks time. It was learned that the airline will use a Cessna Grand Caravan, a very reliable single engine aircraft able to carry up to 13 passengers. As Fly540 also flies daily from Nairobi to Kilimanjaro, the onward connection into one of the world's best known national parks will undoubtedly add value for passengers.   GRUMETI GETS CONSERVATION INSTITUTE A private institute was opened earlier in the week in the Grumeti reserve, after completing construction and equipping the school. The new facility will cater for post secondary school students wishing to undertake courses in environmental topics, which will bring the entire issue of conservation and best environmental practices nearer to the communities living around major national parks and game reserves. It was learned that the courses and course content have all been sanctioned by the relevant governmental bodies and studies are due to commence soon when student intake has been completed.   RAILWAY FROM DAR TO RWANDA CLEARED BY THE DONOR COMMUNITY The proposed railway link from the inland dry port of Isaka to Kigali, and eventually on to Burundi and possibly Eastern Congo, has now received the apparent blessing of the combined donor community, which will support the 3.5 billion US Dollar project with grants and soft loans. It is expected that the World Bank and the African Development Bank will be major sources of funding although the private sector too is anticipated to help financing this major infrastructure project, which aims to cut transport cost for imports and exports for the central Eastern Africa. Presently both Rwanda and Burundi depend on road transport and a rail link would beyond doubt inject a completely new perspective into these economies. Tapping into the Eastern Congolese market would add yet more scope to the project and make it even more viable. Meanwhile, discussions continue to link the Ugandan rail network into the Southern Sudan, while on a wider regional basis plans are also being studied to establish the feasibility of a new route from Kenya to Addis Ababa in Ethiopia. The latter country in particular presently relies heavily on imports and exports via Djibouti by road, since relations with Eritrea &endash; now in possession of the sea harbours since attaining independence from Ethiopia &endash; have since soured. A link with Kenya would therefore be of strategic value besides offering another safe route for imports, exports and passenger transportation. Watch this space.   RWANDA TO TAKE CHARGE OF UPPER AIRSPACE In a recent development it was revealed that following the installation of state of the art monitoring equipment the Rwandan authorities are set to take back the control of their upper airspace, which was hitherto controlled and administered by neighbouring Tanzania under a government to government agreement. The new facility extends some 300 nautical miles around Rwanda and is considered sufficient to serve the purpose. The development also means that Rwanda can begin to control and collect their own revenue from aircraft overflying their airspace as is provided for under international conventions. Previously Rwanda only had direct control of aircraft movement under 24.000 feet &endash; or light level 240 &endash; while the airspace above was controlled by Tanzanian authorities. It is also understood that Burundi's air traffic control is working under the same arrangements, whereby Tanzania is looking after the upper airspace.   RWANDAN BORDERS TO OPEN 24/7 While the border posts between Uganda and Rwanda have now been operating for a while around the clock, to the benefit of travellers and trade, news were received earlier in the week that the country's borders with Burundi and Eastern Congo will from September this year also move towards an around the clock regime. For long have restrictive border post opening times hampered free travel and movements of cargos across Eastern Africa but at last this now seems to come to an end for the benefit of all.   NEW BOOK ON RWANDAN FLORA LAUNCHED Last weekend also saw the launch of the latest book in Kigali on Rwandan botany titled 'Les Plantes Ligneuses du Rwanda' describing details of over 800 'woody' species. Author U. Bloesch during the launch recommended the new book for researchers as well as for visitors to the country to make use of it as it featured the widest available descriptions of the flora of the country. Adds this correspondent: 'seen the book while in Kigali and it represents excellent value as a nature guide'.   BURUNDI TOURIST BOARD ATTENDS AABF MEETING IN KAMPALA A small delegation from Burundi attended the Kampala Africa &endash; Asia Business Forum earlier in the week, where they also presented new printed material and contact details to the tourism trade from across the region, the wider continent and the Asian participants. They are now available for answers in English language rather than previously only in French, with immediate effect via their main email: contact@burunditourisme.com or by phone via +257 22 224208.   SOUTH SUDAN TO BENEFIT FROM NEW BASA WITH THE UAE A new and open bilateral air services agreement was signed last weekend in Khartoum between the Republic of the Sudan and the United Arab Emirates, governing air traffic between the two countries. It is understood that besides the respective Civil Aviation Authorities and governmental representatives also UAE airlines like Emirates, Etihad and Air Arabia were represented at the talks. This will make travel in the future easier as no more capacity restrictions will apply on air traffic between the two countries, for either passengers or cargo. Several flights a day presently operate between Juba and Khartoum, making connections to and from the Gulf easier for intending travellers. However, it must be pointed out that in general Southern Sudanese travellers seem to prefer connecting via Entebbe, Nairobi or Addis Ababa rather than flying via Khartoum, which many in the South continue to perceive as unfriendly to them. SUDAN PERMITS AID GROUPS BACK Care and Save the Children, two globally renowned aid organizations, have last weekend been apparently permitted by the regime in Khartoum to return to the country and begin work again in Darfur, from where they were expelled in March this year as an angry reaction to the ICC issuing an arrest warrant for regime leader Bashir. It is also understood that some other aid groups have been allowed back into the Sudan albeit under slightly changed names, arguably to save face for the regime, which incidentally reacted again with predictable anger and outright denials, when these news broke in the global media And in closing more Zambian tourism tidbits, taken from Gill Staden's weekly 'Livingstonian' newsletter, regularly received with many thanks from many readers of this column Hwange Safari Lodge We stopped off at Hwange Safari Lodge on the journey between Bulawayo and Vic Falls Town. The lodge is a short distance from the main road in a forestry area next to Hwange National Park.   The lodge is quiet, of course, but is still fully functional, and is a great place for a stopover. The main area for visitors is the huge lawn in front of the waterhole and bush. Venice and I took ourselves off to a shady spot under some thatch and ordered a cool drink. Other guests were swimming and enjoying the view. The waterhole was a bit quiet when we arrived &endash; just a few impala, a lone kudu and some marabou storks. We could see a few eles off in the trees. And then in the distance we saw a huge herd of elephants in a line walking towards the waterhole. They marched along, not in any hurry, eventually arriving at the water. They wandered round the waterhole eventually finding a spot which looked good for a drink and then contentedly drank their fill, the little ones mucking about in the water. At this point, Venice and I decided we could enjoy sitting in this spot for an hour ... so we ordered lunch. Over to one side of the hotel, is a hide where guests can go to sit to watch the animals as they come down to drink. Just in front of the hide is a salt lick and the eles often come there to get the salt. At night the waterhole is floodlight, so this hide is an amazing place to sit until late in the evening to watch the happenings at the waterhole and salt lick.       Our next treat was to see, in the distance, a herd of sable running towards the waterhole. There must have been at least 20 of them. What a sight. They arrived at the waterhole, spanning out around the edge to drink. They stayed for a while and then headed off towards the bush.       And then our lunch arrived. We had only ordered a toasted sandwich, but we had a plateful of sandwiches made with homemade bread, salads and homemade crisps. After getting through all this I was in a bit of a lazy mood and could have sat watching the waterhole for another few hours. But the journey called and we headed for home ... with the promise to ourselves that we would come back again soon ...     Batoka Gorge The conflict between the environment and commercial concerns are again in the spotlight: We wish to urgently register our ongoing concern for the rapid decline in the once prolific (raptor & their prey) birdlife resident for millennia around this area of Gorges Lodge & the Batoka Gorge. The Batoka Gorge helicopter flights are now becoming more frequent & believe that several more helicopter operators are soon to start similar flights. Batoka Gorge is a declared UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE & should not be subjected to this invasion by Helicopter Companies wanting to make a 'quick buck' & quite happily destroy the surrounding habitat without any further cares. The serenity & unique fauna & flora of the Batoka Gorge are suffering increased disturbance created by the noise, speed & vibration from the helicopter rotors. The raptors are continually having to recede from their hunting areas each time a helicopter passes by, it will be most unfortunate & quite imminent for a large raptor to be killed by diving into the intruding helicopter rotor blades, in vain - to protect its nest & habitat. There has to be a solution to this. The birds are a major concern and they have a short breeding season. Surely low flights in the gorge can be suspended, except for emergencies, during this period??? Comments??? Wildlife and Environmental Conservation Society of Zambia 2009 Annual General Meeting   Date: 20th June 2009 Time: 10:00 hrs Venue: The Southern Sun Ridgeway (formerly Holiday Inn), Lusaka   Agenda 1. Welcoming remarks 2. Talk on Wilddog Conservation in the Luangwa Valley by Matt Becker 3. Notice of convening 4. Apologies 5. Reading of the Previous Minutes 6. Matters arising 7. Branch Reports 8. National Office Report 9. Report from the treasurer 10. President's report. 11. Appointment of auditors 12. Elections 13. Any other business   UGANDA'S FORESTS MAY BE GONE BY 2052 Considering the depletion of forests across Eastern Africa, and in particular in Uganda, a gloomy picture has been painted in the local media last week while commemorating the world environment day. Going by the facts Uganda seems to have suffered of a reduction of forest cover across the country by 80 percent over the past one hundred and twenty or so years, while between 1988 and 2009 a reduction by nearly 50 percent occurred. The present forest cover stands at slightly over 3.2 million hectares, according to recently published statistics. However, the impact of the reduction of forests is now widely felt, as many rivers and streams have started drying up outside the rainy season and flooding, including flash floods was on the increase in recent years. This is attributed to the soil's inability to absorb large quantities of rain after being stripped of trees. Tree planting and reforestation, including commercial plantations, is an expressed governmental policy in Uganda but there are lingering doubts about the intensity of the commitment and the enforcement against encroachment and illegal logging. The Uganda Wildlife Authority and the National Forest Authority are both faced with having to counter attempts of ever growing groups of people to settle inside forests under their jurisdiction and off the record often complain that political interference makes their tasks more difficult, especially in parks like Mt. Elgon, amongst others. As less than 10 percent of Ugandan households have access to electricity, the use of charcoal is widespread, even in the urban centres, contributing heavily to deforestation. Delayed hydro electric plants in Uganda, producing more affordable electricity, are thought to be one of the root causes for the alarming rate at which forests are encroached and destroyed as the expansion of the national electricity grid and bringing affordable power to the rural populations, now lags behind the projected and politically demanded growth rates. If no serious action is taken by government to arrest and reverse the trends, gloomy forecasts predict that by 2052 no forests at all will remain, a catastrophic development if found to be true. Notably though, neighbouring Rwanda has made remarkable strides towards reforestation, as forests there over the past 15 years have increased by half, a most commendable effort by this small and hilly eastern central African country. UWA DISTRIBUTES 100 MILLION SHILLINGS The revenue share from gate receipts of Kibale National Park due to the surrounding communities is estimated to have reached 100 million Uganda Shillings, which UWA is now distributing to nearly 30 parishes bordering the park. 'Revenue sharing' is enshrined in the UWA statute and is a major source of community development around and near the country's national parks. Well done UWA. KAMPALA HOSTING 'ASIA - AFRICA BUSINESS FORUM' The Speke Resort and Conference Centre at Munyonyo, near this correspondent's residence, will be the venue for this prestigious meeting, which brings together potential investors and the business community from Asia and Africa. Set to take place between the 15th to 17th of June the high profile meeting is expected to be formally opened by none other than President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and the who is who of Uganda's business community and relevant government offices are expected to be in attendance. Tourism investment opportunities in Uganda are reportedly also high on the agenda, aimed at attracting more funding and cooperation in the industry. SHERATON NOW TARGETS WEDDINGS Set in some of the finest gardens in Kampala, the Sheraton Kampala Hotel has for long attracted newlywed couples to take wedding and group pictures within the well manicured grounds. The hotel has now specifically targeted mid week wedding functions and is offering a substantial 15 percent discount for parties between Monday and Thursday, days normally less popular compared with Friday and Saturday dates. In addition the hotel is offering a 10 percent discount for wedding parties in 2010, as long as an early booking has been made before the end of 2009, and the required deposit been paid. This applies to functions within the hotel as well as outside catering provided by the Sheraton. Anyone intending to tie the knot, visit www.sheraton.com/kampala for more information. IT'S BUDGET DAY IN EAST AFRICA True to commitments made under the auspices of the East African Community have the five member states read their annual budgets on 11th of June, just after this column went into 'print'. The tourism sectors in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania are not exactly holding their combined breaths, as the facilitation for tourism marketing is expected to be far below the sector's needs and expectations. While this is a matter of bad habits in Uganda, where government has rarely lived up to the commitments made verbally to the sector, in Kenya the issue has raised the proverbial temperature in the political arena between private sector and government, when plans emerged most recently to reduce the budget, compared to the previous financial year, by up to 70 percent. While in Kenya however KTF made concerted and very public efforts to bring their arguments into the public domain, in other countries the respective industry voices were rather hushed and/or invisible. In contrast Rwanda seems the exception in the region as governmental assurances, that tourism is indeed a priority sector, have in past years regularly been followed by adequate budget allocation, lifting the tourism industry rapidly to the near top of the economic performance in the country. Inspite of the present global economic crisis therefore is Rwanda expecting yet better figures and performances in 2009, arguably at the expense of those other regional countries cutting down in marketing instead of increasing spending and activities. HOUSTON MARKETING TOURS EASTERN AFRICA Derek Houston recently visited Kampala, besides other East African centres, to update local tourism stakeholders on upcoming trade shows, tourism marketing events and of course the need to participate and take advantage of such opportunities and keep the destination 'visible' in the global market place in the midst of a global recession and 'hard sell' by many competing destinations. Particular emphasis during the presentations was paid to MICE business development opportunities. Visit www.houstonmarketing.com for more information. KENYA BAGS IMEX AWARD The exhibition manager of the Kenya Tourist Board received global recognition on behalf of KTB when at the recently concluded IMEX tourism trade fair in Frankfurt / Germany he was handed the prestigious IMEX Academy Award for serving Kenya's interests well in promoting meetings and exhibitions. The MICE market is now of major importance in Kenya's effort to achieve economic recovery by promoting MICE tourism activities. Congratulations for this achievement to KTB, for which it is the second major award in as many months, having been crowned 'Best Tourist Board in Africa' by the 'Good Safari Guide' recently at a ceremony in Durban / South Africa. 'ITS HIDDEN SANCTIONS' SAYS ANGRY TOURISM STAKEHOLDER The unexpected cancellation of the Delta Airlines flights from Atlanta to Nairobi last Wednesday caused angry reactions amongst tourism stakeholders in Nairobi. One well placed source in regular contact with this column in fact spoke on condition of remaining unnamed of 'the most severe and yet most concealed (anti) travel advisory of recent times' when apparently the Department of Homeland Security either withdrew or withheld at the last moment the clearances given or promised previously to Delta. It is understood that the Kenyan government had taken specific action to improve airport and perimeter security at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, following an inspection of the facilities and area some weeks ago by American security and aviation personnel. A Delta staff from Nairobi also mentioned on condition of anonymity that they were caught unaware of the development until at the last moment their offices in the US informed them of the cancellation. The same staff also insisted that the airline had been fully committed to commencing flights, had good pre-bookings for future flights and contracts for regular cargo shipments both ways, and that it was a US government decision which blocked them. In conclusion the staff added that while BA, KLM, Emirates, SN, SAA, Swiss and other world class airlines continued to fly into Nairobi, the US government may have been misled or misinformed and over reacted or have a hidden agenda. Undoubtedly has the sudden development put a dent into political relations between the two countries, with Kenya rightly upset over the clandestine manner in which the decision was made and then sprung on them. Kenyan exporters but more important the Kenyan tourism sector had invested in marketing their products and services tailored around the expected Delta flights and will now be left alone to ponder the broken pieces of their efforts and how to react to the situation. The US is an important market for visitors to Kenya's and in fact the entire region's game parks and the Kenya Tourist Board and key stakeholders will have to put their thinking caps on and strategize in coming days about damage limitation and how best to circumnavigate this latest hurdle placed in their way to economic recovery. All the best therefore to the Kenyan tourism fraternity and mega barbs for the bureaucrats and faceless security personnel in the US responsible for this grotesque decision. MOMBASA AND COAST TOURIST ASSOCIATION GETS NEW BOARD A new board was elected during the recent annual general meeting of the Kenya coast's tourism private sector body. Capt. Johnny Cleave is the new chairman of MCTA, assisted by such deputies as Khalid Shapi and Mohamed Harunani, all well know to this correspondent from his days at the Kenyan coast. During the AGM a change was introduced, when a board of trustees was chosen for the first time. Long serving (now) immediate past chairman Kuldip Sondhi retired during the AGM after heading the MCTA for 8 years and was reportedly given a standing ovation by those present, and an award from the Kenyan Minister of Tourism, for his achievements and efforts for the tourism industry. This column joins the applause for Kuldip Sondhi for a job well done during some of the most trying years for Kenya tourism after 9/11 and the notorious year 2004/5 and wishes him well in his future endeavours. Asante Sana Bwana. KQ'S COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR RESIGNS A day prior to the publication of financial results last week, showing a staggering 5.6 billion Kenya Shillings loss after years of steadily growing profits, did Richard Nuttal tender his resignation to the board of directors, which according to reliable sources was accepted. Richard was in the hot seat for just over a year, following the departure of his predecessor Hugh Fraser, who recently re-emerged in the region as Acting CEO for Air Uganda (they lost two CEO's and two Commercial Directors in as many years). A year ago, inspite of the downturn of business in early 2008, KQ still wrote a 6.5 billion Kenya Shillings profit into their books before suffering a full reversal this year. The losses are largely blamed on the rocketing fuel bills of 2008 and the cost of fuel hedging contracts entered into by the commercial department, which subsequently proved highly disadvantageous for Kenya Airways, when the global fuel prices collapsed again to a fraction of the peak prices. This however has been a problem of global proportions as many airlines were caught in this scenario at their expense and this scenario of course impacted on their balance sheets. Meanwhile it is understood that KQ is on the way to restore healthy finances once again, as demonstrated by the board which recommended a 1 Shilling dividend for shareholders in expectation of once again more prosperous days. DELTA AIRLINES WINS COURT RULING Having gone to court over the alleged infringement of their name rights the Court of Appeals in Nairobi has now ruled on an interim order that local 'Delta Connection', formed several years ago (in 2004) when the American Delta Airlines were hardly known in East Africa, must give up the use of the name and find another 'title'. In fact, during the week the airline 'rebranded' at reportedly substantial cost and launched their new name 'D Connection' &endash; likely to be again rubbing the nose of the mightier 'non starter' Delta Airlines while complying with the court order. Some sources in Nairobi in any case mentioned that amongst the clients of the airline the 'old' name will not die out soon anyway. D Connection flies daily between Nairobi and South Sudan's capital city of Juba. The main appeal still remains to be heard but meanwhile the airline has moved promptly to strike out 'Delta' from all their stationary, public images and their regulatory documentation and replace it with a single 'D'. Inspite of this win in court, Delta Airlines of the United States remains absent from the East African skies after their planned inaugural flight was cancelled last week with hardly enough notice to stop dignitaries from driving to the airport for the welcoming ceremony. RIVERTREES OPEN AGAIN Following the annual 'spring cleaning' and work during the low season, Rivertrees, one of Arusha's premier 'safari inns' located at the Usa River between the international airport and Arusha proper, is now open again for visitors. Visit www.rivertrees.com or write to Rivertrees@habari.co.tz for bookings and related information. OBAMA'S CAIRO SPEECH HAILED AS 'GROUND BREAKING' President Obama's first visit to the African continent last week had many East African's glued to their television sets to see and hear the speech 'live'. Indeed, the regional newspapers were full of letters to the editors commenting on and praising the Obama address, which was aimed to engage the US with the Muslim communities and countries around the world but notably also in Africa. Adds this column that the excellent words now need following up with equally excellent action. And in closing once again the 'down South' addition from Gill Staden in Livingstone / Zambia: Jollyboys Backpackers A backpackers lodge is a special lodge which caters for people who arrive by bus, train or by hitching a ride; often arriving alone. Rarely do they arrive in their own vehicle. Jollyboys Lodge caters for people of this ilk and does it extremely well. Lodge itself consists of dormitories and rooms, reception area and a huge sitting out space with loads of cushions. Literally, through the roof, and up some steps, is another small lounge area where guests can sit and look out over the town … or that was the plan … now the trees have grown so big that they sort-of block the view. The grounds house a bar, restaurant area with a pool table; also there is a welcoming swimming pool with a fountain. The décor is, I suppose one would say, funky. Lots of colours and lots of styles. It gives the lodge a happy feel about it where guests can mingle and meet each other without feeling constrained to be formal as one would feel in a hotel. Kim and Sue who own and run Jollyboys are my next door neighbours but I rarely see them. In the mornings, early, I hear the car start up, the gate screech open and the car driving out. Late at night, the gate screeches again and lets in the car &endash; I am usually in bed at this time. They work long hours. The other day I wanted to see Sue at work so I took a walk around Jollyboys. I had a laugh at the small 'A' Frame which was called the Honeymoon chalet. There were quite a lot of guests at the lodge, some lounging by the pool, one playing pool and some sitting around reading and talking. Sue was busy talking to some visitors so I just wandered about. The reception area was full of all the leaflets and information for activities and travelling around Livingstone and beyond. A very special board is one which asks and offers lifts to various places. I found that even the ablution block was painted in bright colours … just for fun. The gardens were all neat and tidy, with huge trees. Seeing a 'lodge' like this one would think that it is easy, but it is definitely not. The hours are long, as I have said, and the guests are 'very budget'. But the market is there for people who are willing to do the job. I am just grateful it is not me. To contact Jollyboys, email: jollybs@zamnet.zm From Safari Par Excellence Whitewater Rafting Starts again We're very excited to be able to announce that the river levels have dropped sufficiently for us to reopen white water rafting from this Saturday, 6th June. The trips will be running on "high water", initially from rapids 14 &endash; 25 and shortly after that (once the water levels have dropped further) from rapids 10 &endash; 25. At rapid 25, all clients will get the lift out of the gorge where our truck will be waiting for them with soft drinks and beers, they will then be driven back to Zambezi Waterfront for a well deserved meal and to watch the video of their day's trip before being transferred back to their accommodation Lake Kariba We have had floods this year in Livingstone. So, of course, all that water has ended up in Kariba Dam. Here are a couple of photos to show Eagles Rest in Siavonga in October last year and May this year. From Jenman Safaris SAFARIS IN 2010 WILL START IN VICTORIA FALLS From the 1st of January 2010 most of our tours will be running out of Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, instead of Livingstone!   This change allows us to avoid long border crossings with the Kazangula Ferry which has been taking up to 3 hours on our past tours. Staying in Victoria Falls will give you another cultural experience and you'll be able to walk to restaurants and craft markets all from your accommodation!For most nationalities, visa fees are much cheaper for Zimbabwe, making travel here even more affordable These itinerary changes include all the versions of the following tours: Botswana Wildlife Breakaway, Botswana Classic safari, Great Trans African Lodge safari, Northern Experience, Northern Skies, Southern Experience and the Southern Skies. If you have any questions about travelling in 2010 please email us on info@jenmansafaris.com Fifth edition May 2009 NATIONAL BIRD WATCHING DAY A SUCCESS Fleeing the madhouse in the city caused by the final stage of the Orange Telecom launch, this correspondent enjoyed some more peaceful environment in a forest not too far from Kampala, joining a small but very dedicated group of birders in search of less common or even new birds. Having chosen to stay away from the main event at the Mabira Forest also proved the right decision as there were no speeches and no officialdom, but just pure, unadulterated joy to search for birds in a pristine forest environment. Instead of having to listen, wanted or not, to blaring music and endure hyped up crowds during the 'usual' Saturday shopping trip to the city, it was wind rustling the leaves of the trees, bird song and other natural sounds one can expect in a tropical forest. The results of the national bird watching day will be released by the organizations involved in the event once all the sighting records have been compiled. Special recognition meanwhile goes to the Uganda Wildlife Authority and the National Forest Authority for granting free entrance to the parks and forests managed by them for the day to encourage larger numbers of visitors for the event and take an interest in bird watching. Uganda is home to about 1.040 species of recorded resident and migratory birds and can boast to be a leading destination for ornithologists from around the world. MIDSUMMER NIGHT AT THE LAGOON RESORT The German based owners of the Lagoon Resort, also described as the 'closest get away from Kampala' in Lake Victoria, have opened pre-bookings for the 20th and 21st of June, when in northern Europe traditionally celebrations take place to make 'best use' of the longest day and the shortest night of the year. Beyond the arctic circle in fact the sun does not set that night, but here in Eastern Africa day and night remain relatively constant with only minor variations during the year. The 'invitation' is aimed at the diplomatic corps and the expatriate community in Kampala used to the concept of partying the short night away. Participation, including safe parking near Munyonyo, boat transport and a 'massive buffet' will set revellers back some 60.000 Uganda Shillings or less than 30 US Dollars or 20 Euros. Visit www.ug-lagoonresort.com for more details or write to them via lagoon.resort@yahoo.com for bookings and accommodation rates. ORANGE PAINTS TOWN IN ORANGE The latest and fifth addition to the mobile networks in Uganda has last weekend held a street carnival, concluding its official launch activities. Numerous 'floats' were paraded through large parts of the city before ending up at the Lugogo Cricket Ground for the evening activities and concert. Subsequently town was painted literally in their trade mark colour and the crowning event was a late evening concert featuring 'Shaggy' to the delight of the crowds. Orange is a brand of France Telecom and now available in both Kenya and Uganda. EMIRATES EXTENDS SPECIAL FARES TILL END OF JUNE The award winning Dubai based airline has recently announced that their special fares, mentioned in this column some weeks ago, will remain in place until the 27th of June, when the expected 'high season' starts again. Travel from Entebbe to for instance New York will cost US Dollars 1.250, plus of course an array of regulatory charges imposed by regulators and airports, while flights to India and the Far and South East of Asia are also on offer. Visit www.emirates.com/ug for more details on destinations and available fares, terms and conditions. SIMBA TRAVELCARE OFFERS KLM ALL INCLUSIVE FARES Unlike most other agents in Kampala, who try to catch a potential travellers eye with lower, non inclusive fares and then 'load' fuel surcharges and regulatory fees on to it once they have their hooks in the client, Simba Travelcare again showed their competitors that honest advertising pays off. They have recently advertised excellent fares on KLM to European and North American destinations, inclusive of all the 'nasty' add on's. The agency also put special packages to South Africa on the market for the famous 'Blue Train', again inclusive of all the add on charges, prompting this column to give this agency special recognition for advertising standards now common in Europe but sadly not in our part of the world yet. AND FULL MOUTHED IT CONTINUES The 'Aya Group', known best for their regular public statement acrobatics over the planned 'Hilton' hotel development, felt compelled during the week to 'hit' the public with a full page four colour advertisement on the group's activities, appropriately titled 'Keeping the Promise &endash; Delivering on Development'. Looking back however over the past years and missed deadlines in regard of the hotel construction and completion dates, they are certainly not shy to re-write history. Watch this space. SKAL KAMPALA CELEBRATES 'QUIZ NIGHT' The Centenary BBQ Lounge at the lower Centenary Park was the venue for this month's Skal Kampala meeting, again filling the venue to capacity. The club's executive promoted the forthcoming annual congress, to be held in Budapest / Hungary later in the year and Brussels Airlines got a round of applause for offering reduced fare tickets to Skalleagues (AD 75) and spouses (AD 50). Member Marinka Sanc George, a native of Hungary but long time resident in Uganda, made a passionate appeal to visit her old country and participate in a pre and post congress tour put together by her. Skal President Rahul Sood arrived directly from the airport, having only returned from his annual leave shortly prior, a sign of the commitment and drive the new club executive professes towards the club. This correspondent's table, which also included Past President James Rattos of the Sheraton Kampala Hotel and the Austrian Honorary Consul amongst others, did by the way win the top prize for scoring the highest number of correct answers, with each of the 'winners' sitting on table walking off with a fabulous prize sponsored by the local branch of South Africa's retail giant 'Game'. Next month's fellowship will take place at Hotel International on the 24th of June, starting at 7 p.m.   FLY540 CONFIRMS ANGOLA EXPANSION A Fly540 airline source in Nairobi has recently confirmed that the carrier has finally obtained an air services license in Angola, which has been pending for some time. The company is presently working towards obtaining their Angolan AOC before commencing domestic passenger flights with initially two ATR's. Once their operation has been fully established a further two ATR's are due to be delivered to Angola to expand routes to both domestic and regional destinations. Fly540 is part owned (49 percent) by Lonrho Africa, a multinational conglomerate with trading, mining, industrial and agricultural interests across the African continent. Angola, like some other African countries, has been plagued by poor air safety records and the arrival of a quality airline will undoubtedly help improve on those statistics and permit safe air travel with modern turboprop aircraft; and not in scary, aviation stone age aircraft built in the former Soviet Union, which have cost so many lives across the entire continent in recent years, mostly due to lack of competent maintenance and poor training. SAFARIWIRE NOW 'LIVE' As briefly mentioned in the last column this informative website about tourism, aviation, hospitality and a wide range of related issues, is now active under www.safariwire.com Items from this column will also be featured there on a regular basis, aimed to promote visits to Kenya and the Eastern African region while broadcasting 'positive' news. KENYA BUZZ NOW ALSO IN PRINT The Kenyan social news and events website and news broadcast has now gone a step further and is, effective immediately, offering a print version &endash; including advertising &endash; for their growing readership. A weekly print run of 20.000 copies will be available initially and is free for readers and distributed at key vantage points. Visit them at www.kenyabuzz.com for more information of what is happening in Kenya from the coast via Nairobi to upcountry. Congratulations to them on this ambitious step forward and best of success. TOURISM STAKEHOLDERS 'FURIOUS' OVER PROPOSED BUDGET CUTS Predictably has anger arisen amongst Kenya's tourism players when the full impact of the ministerial announcement of the previous week started to sink in. As this column had reported, budget cuts for marketing of nearly 70 percent were proposed by ill advised and probably ill meaning finance ministry officials, which would have disastrous consequences for marketing the country in existing, emerging and new markets. One safari operator well know to this correspondent for decades has called those responsible 'saboteurs' while others too made comments not fit for printing. One very senior tourism stakeholder, reacting to the column item of the previous week, stated in apparent frustration: 'these finance people think they can milk the cow and yet not feed it. If funding for marketing is cut by that much, the board will hardly have funds to pay for recurrent expenditure. This will leave Kenya exposed in the global market place against such countries in Africa like South Africa or Egypt, where budgets were in fact raised to be prominent in the main consumer markets. If we cannot invest at this crucial stage in marketing, we are bound to lose market share, not just against African competitors but even against such countries like Thailand, the Caribbean, Malaysia and other places in demand and very visible.' Other comments sent by email speak of the big contradiction from government, which has given tourism a key sector rating and yet seems unable or unwilling to spend on promotion. Calls were renewed to allocate a fixed percentage of tourism's annual earnings to promoting the country, but the finance ministry bureaucrats clearly have other plans on how to spend the funds. Kenya Airways only recently underwrote a joint private sector initiative worth some 50 million Kenya Shillings to support the marketing efforts of KTB, but will likely see this investment not live up to its full potential, unless matching funds are provided by government. It is understood that senior and key stakeholders are now demanding an audience with not just the finance minister but probably the president himself to make government aware of the urgent need to avail financial resources but also the growing unrest amongst tourism stakeholders. This is like in Uganda where the sector often feels unappreciated by their government and are looked upon as if tourism does 'just happen', while the truth is far from it of course. Watch this space.   KENYA SEEKS NEW TOURIST BOARD CEO The Kenyan government has now advertised for applications to fill the vacant position of Chief Executive Officer of the Kenya Tourist Board, following the premature 'departure' of Dr. Achieng Ongonga late last year. He is now in court, facing corruption and fraud charges, together with an erstwhile board member and another alleged accomplice in the scheme, the former Ministry of Tourism Permanent Secretary Rebecca Nabutola. This column has substantially reported on these past events. The adverts were published yesterday and applications were invited from qualified Kenyans. The board of directors of KTB is headed by Jake Grieves Cook of Gamewatchers and Porini Safari Camps. No decision is expected before a full vetting of applications has taken place and shortlisted candidates have been extensively interviewed, to avoid a repeat of Dr. Achieng's antics while holding the trusted position. SOMALI ISLAMIC MILITIAS DOWN KENYAN HELICOPTER Reports from Mombasa overnight speak of a Kenyan military helicopter being shot down by Islamic militant Somali militias controlling the border region on the Somali side of the frontier. The helicopter's crew managed to escape death but were injured and have since been airlifted to a military hospital. The helicopter according to Kenyan sources was clearly inside Kenyan territory, flying along the border to monitor and patrol the area known to be used for cross border infiltration. Somali militants have in the past even raided Kenyan villages along the border in search of supplies but been regularly repelled. (also see related article 'African Union lays into Eritrea') Kenya has more recently established new forward bases for her military along the border with Somalia, while the border has been officially closed for the past several years by the Kenyan government. Some of the militias are quoted to have openly declared their desire to create a 'greater Somalia by integrating areas in Ethiopia and Kenya into their fiefdom, and both Kenya and Ethiopia have in the past fought wars with Somalia to defend their territorial integrity in the Ogaden region and in what in the old days was called the 'Northern Frontier District' in Kenya. Official Kenyan military sources have confirmed the situation but refrained from confirming the cause of the crash.   Fly540 READY FOR TANZANIA FLIGHTS Word from a reliable source has it that Fly540 Tanzania's operation is about to take off, with the first flight between Dar es Salaam and Nairobi due for the 01st of July. The airline will use their traditional ATR turboprop aircraft for the service, a proven performer on the short and medium distances in the region and only marginally slower in their point to point speed, compared to the jets commonly used, as in particular the boarding and de-planing is faster and more convenient for passengers, and requires no stairs. The pre launch activities also include a full scale presence at the Karibu Travel Fair in Arusha in early June, promoting the flights between Nairobi, Zanzibar, Kilimanjaro and &endash; soon afterwards &endash; Dar es Salaam. Meanwhile it was also learned that Fly540 Kenya will begin flights from Nairobi to Lodwar in Northern Kenya and that coinciding with the maiden flight will come some famine and medical relief donation which undoubtedly will be much appreciated by the population in the draught stricken area. A total of 9 free cargo flights on the airline's Fokker 27F will be operated to permit the Kenyan Red Cross deliver much needed supplies to the area. The daily passenger flights will route from Nairobi via the western Kenyan municipality of Kitale on the foot of Mt. Elgon to Lodwar and then back to Nairobi. RENOWNED WILDLIFE AUTHOR AND PHOTOGRAPHER DIES Swiss born photographer and writer David Pluth passed away last weekend at the Nyungwe Forest National Park in Rwanda, while on assignment in the country. David has been a long time friend and supporter of this central eastern African nation where in 2003 he produced the first ever national tourism brochure for Rwanda. He was also connected to the National Geographic Society and had his photographs published in several books. His friends in Rwanda and around the world were left stunned by the sad news and this column expresses sincere condolences to the late David's family and friends. TED TURNER TRACKS IN RWANDA Former media mogul and philanthropist &endash; he gave a billion US Dollars to a UN Foundation &endash; Ted Turner has last week done a remarkable 'triple' when tracking two different gorilla groups on two subsequent days in the Parc de Virunga before then tracking the 'Golden Monkey'. Turner was on a high profile 5 day mission to Rwanda, where the Diane Fossey Gorilla Fund is also a beneficiary of his donations. Before leaving the country Ted Turner also met with President Paul Kagame in Kigali. KWITA IZINA NOW REACHES INTO THE REGION The Rwanda Office for Tourism and National Parks, now part of the Rwanda Development Board, has commenced marketing the event in the wider region, remarkably kicking off the campaign with a full page colour advert in the 'EastAfrican', the EAC's leading business and political weekly newspaper. This marks the start of a period of increased PR activity and sensitizing the regional tourism and conservation bodies on the work done in Rwanda to protect the endangered mountain gorilla while ensuring that the prized animals 'pay for their keep' through carefully managed habituation programmes and income generated through tracking. Meanwhile, Ugandan sources have continued to moan over not having habituated enough gorilla groups yet, thus yielding revenue to neighbouring countries, a thinly concealed reference of course to Rwanda's success story. This is indeed a challenge for the Uganda Wildlife Authority to ensure that gorilla groups not yet 'used' for tracking can be gradually habituated to allow for regular rest periods of groups but also add 'numbers' as even in these economically challenging times gorilla tracking remains a tourism activity much in demand by the global market place. AFRICAN UNION LAYS INTO ERITREA In a rather unprecedented move over the weekend has the African Union called upon the UN Security Council to impose sanctions against Eritrea and other overt and covert supporters of the Somali militant Islamic militias, after being fed up with the deception and misleading statements coming from Asmara in the face of evidence to the contrary. This column last week in fact made reference to Eritrea's alleged involvement in supplying radical Islamic militia groups, many of which are thought to be pawns in Al Qaida's fight for another safe haven on the African shores. Ugandan troops form the back bone of the present AU peacekeeping force of about 4.000 and are presently involved in keeping at least part of the capital Mogadishu under control of the interim government, following territorial gains by the militias and imminent threats to take over the capital once again, where heavy fighting raged in recent days. The African Union is not known to turn against 'one of their own' so far and has broken with their usual practise of 'quiet diplomacy' which has clearly failed to persuade Eritrea to halt their covert support, a situation which has apparently also drawn their own declared enemy Ethiopia back into the conflict. IGAD, another Eastern African regional grouping, has also thrown their weight behind the resolution and in fact proposed a full scale naval and aerial blockade of areas under control of the Islamic militias and against Eritrea, to stop the flow of weapons, material and fighters into Somalia, directly and via Eritrea. IGAD has already suspended Eritrea which now also faces suspension from the African Union. The fighting in Somalia has caused concern in neighbouring Kenya, which shares a long border with Somalia open to infiltration, but also in the wider region, as piracy originating from Somali shores affects the trade lanes, makes imports and exports by sea more costly and has already caused delivery delays and losses of goods destined for Eastern Africa. Cruise tourism, a hitherto strong source of revenue for the Seychelles, Kenya, Zanzibar and Tanzania, is also likely to see a downturn as fears for the safety of cruiseliners visiting the ports in the Indian Ocean region persist. Kenya and Tanzania have most recently agreed to joint naval patrols in their waters while Seychelles, with more limited naval assets, depends rather more on the international coalition to effectively patrol her waters and nab those pirates daring enough to operate nearly a thousand miles off their safe havens in pursuit of their bounty. Meanwhile, Sudan Airways has now commenced their flights again between Khartoum and Asmara after a break of over a decade, a move watch with hawk's eyes by regional observers who, cognizant of the past behaviour of the Khartoum regime see ulterior motives in the growing ties between Eritrea and Khartoum. Watch this space. And as usual some interesting tourism news from Gill Staden in Livingstone / Zambia:   Kasane Trip Last week I took a drive to Kasane. While there I went through Chobe NP from Kasane to Ngoma. It took me about 4-5 hours, I think. I was enjoying myself so much that I didn't take note of the time that it took. The entrance to the Park is now on the Kasane-Ngoma Road. Botswana is very organised with its tourism. All the offices are efficient and friendly. Having paid my entrance of P170 (US$25) for me and my car, I took the road down to the river. The road then travels all along the Chobe River and has loads of game even at this time of the year. The water was still high and the floodplain was a true floodplain with water everywhere. It was very beautiful. The road is quite sandy but I didn't have to use 4-wheel drive at all. So, probably, if you have a high-clearance vehicle, you could do the trip with no problem. But, if you do, go in a group with two cars ... just in case .. The first animals that I saw were buffalo crossing the road in front. I stopped to let them pass and take a few photos. I then glanced out of the side window ... and there, very close was a big bull buffalo looking at me ... woops ... The bush is still thick after our great rains and it is difficult to see too far ... Anyway, the buffalo by my side did not seem too bothered by my car and, after a while carried on munching. A bit further down the road I stopped to take some photos of the impala &endash; they were looking so beautiful in the early morning light. As I was taking the photo, I noticed something move in the background. On further inspection, I realised it was a jackal sitting in the shade of a tree. I edged the car closer and managed to get a 'reasonable' photo of him. By this time I was bursting for a pee. Now, what to do? There are animals all over the place and the bush was thick. I continued on until I found a spot which was clear enough for me to see and, looking up and down the road to make sure nothing was around, I ventured out of my car for the essential relief. Not much later I came to Serondela picnic site. Serondela used to be the campsite, but it was moved to relieve the congestion on the eastern end of the park. Even at this time of year, the park is busy and I met quite a number of other vehicles touring. I hate to think what it is like during July and August ... one long traffic jam??? I doubt it though, but certainly it will be very busy with all the day trippers. Travelling on I encountered loads of animals and often stopped to take some photos or just to look at the view over the Chobe River. I stopped once to let a chameleon cross the road. He was so multi-coloured that I couldn't miss him. Is this a new chameleon technique when crossing a road? I thought he was supposed to camouflage himself, but not this chappie ... he was a very startling ... I then reached Ihaha, the new campsite. It is towards the western end of the Park and is set under the shade of some big trees with nice ablution blocks which were just in the process of having a new coat of paint. While on the subject of camping in Botswana's National Parks &endash; it is always essential to book campsites. The National Park's authority is very strict about bush-camping ... basically they frown upon it. However, I asked at the Park Gate, if it was possible to book campsite at his Gate. (Normally bookings have to be done at Maun or Gaborone). I was told that they are happy to help. They will know if they have a campsite free at Ihaha and will be able to allocate a slot if one is free. If you want to travel through to Savute, they will phone the reservations office in Maun and see if there is a space. Then you can pay them there at the Sedudu Gate. Obviously this won't happen in the busy season as all campsites will be fully booked. But if you go during the off-season, it is worth asking them. I hadn't been long away from Ihaha when I had the fright of my life. I was just driving along enjoying the scenery when an enormous snake reared up in front of the car. It was green-ish and had reared up right over the bonnet of the car by about half a metre. It then flopped to the ground and reared up again, it then flopped down again and slithered off into the bush. I had, of course, stopped the car and said, very quietly to myself, 'Oh, my goodness me', or words to that effect ... I sat there in a bit of a stunned silence for a while and then continued my journey. I had no idea what the snake was ... all I knew was that it was HUGE &endash; probably several metres in length. It wasn't too far from there to the end of the park at Ngoma. Between Ihaha and Ngoma I did see a lot of game. More, in fact, than the eastern end. I hadn't seen any elephants between Kasane and Ihaha. This was not surprising, of course, as they were all wandering around the bush going to their favourite watering holes. And there is still plenty of water around, However, towards the end of my journey through the park, I met quite a few eles and lots of other animals. I emerged from the park at the gate and headed towards Muchenje Lodge. Muchenje Lodge is one of my favourite lodges near the Chobe. I had stayed there a few years ago with some friends and we had had an amazing time. My friends were four teachers from UK. They had asked me to plan their once-in-a-lifetime trip to Africa, so I did. And I went along for the ride and as chauffeur in my battered Hilux. We had done Zambia and Namibia and then we arrived at Muchenje Lodge in Botswana and they loved it. Anyway, I am getting off the point. I reached Muchenje Lodge after a bit of a search as their entrance had been dismantled and I drove straight past it. Only when I was on a stretch of road that I did not recognise, did I realise that I had missed the turning. U-Turn. I found the road to the lodge and headed down the slope. I arrived hot and nasty and thought to myself 'they are going to tell me to do another U-turn', but they didn't. The owners, Shaun and Bee were there, and welcomed me like an old friend (although they didn't know me from a bar of soap), gave me a cool drink, and I got out their Snake Book to find out about my snake. It had to be a black mamba ... reading about it made me even more scared than I was at the time ... all sorts of what-ifs went through my brain ... Muchenje Lodge is high up on the ridge overlooking the Chobe floodplain. It has 12 chalets which are all perched on the edge of the ridge with fantastic views for miles. Down below, although the lodge is not in the National Park, animals wander around and come to a pumped waterhole to drink. I can remember being there before and watching flocks of pelicans as they landed on, and took off from, the river.   Because Muchenje is on the western edge of the Chobe Park, there are fewer people here. The Park is just a 10-minute drive away, through a forestry area, and game drives feel much more 'exclusive'. The Lodge has its own touring vehicles, and, when we were there previously, the staff woke us up at some awful hour in the morning to load us onto a vehicle. We then took an amazing drive into the park, followed by a cruise on the river ... it was worth the waking up ...   Having chatted for far too long, I took the road back to Kasane. Instead of driving through the park along the river's edge, I took the main tar road. It took me about an hour. I decided on my way back that I would head home for Livingstone. It was a Saturday and I knew that I would achieve very little work-wise on the Sunday ... and Sundays are my days for writing the weekly ...   Having loaded my boxes and bags, I headed for the Zimbabwe border. I had decided that I would go that way just to see what it was like. I had insurance and carbon tax, so just had to pay for Road Access (US$10). The border crossing was quiet and quick. I took the road through the Matetsi area of Zim and then through the Zambezi National Park. About 30 km from Vic Falls Town I was treated to a pack of wild dog playing on the road. There were 10 of them. I sat in the car and watched them for about 20 minutes ... and thought that I was a real lucky fish to have come across them.   I arrived at Vic Falls Town in the dark. The town was quiet and the street lights weren't working &endash; it was strange to see the town without its lights. The border was empty on both sides and I was through both sides in a jiffy ... just a few marketers with their loads on heads as they walked over the bridge in the pouring spray from the Falls. Elephant Valley Lodge While in Botswana I was taken to Elephant Valley Lodge in Lesoma Valley a short drive from Kasane. We arrived in the evening because we had come for dinner. The lodge is in a traditional land and I had heard a lot about it. We walked into the main area and out onto the veranda. There, in front of the lodge, was a floodlight waterhole ... with a large herd of elephants wandering around, drinking and spraying themselves with water. The lodge was busy and all the visitors were sitting around a large log fire on the lawns. I sat and watched the elephants for a long time listening to their noises and watching the antics of the little ones. We then went and had dinner in their open air dining area, which overlooked the waterhole. Elephant Valley Lodge is an upmarket lodge so a bit on the expensive side to stay at. So, if you are like me and live on a tight budget, why not book to have dinner there &endash; a great experience. PRESS RELEASE ISSUED JOINTLY BY LION ENCOUNTER (Zambia) and ALERT (Zambia), 15 May 2009. Lion Encounter (Zambia) in partnership with the African Lion & Environmental Research Trust (Zambia) has recently commenced the operation of stage one of the multi-stage African Lion Rehabilitation & Release into the Wild Program within the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park (MOT NP), Livingstone, Zambia.  The development of stage two of the program within the Dambwa Forest, adjacent to the MOT NP will commence shortly with the building of a fenced release area of 1500 acres. Such activities are operated in accordance with agreements made with and regulations provided by relevant ministries and agencies of the Government of the Republic of Zambia including the Zambian Wildlife Authority (ZAWA), the Environment Council of Zambia (ECZ), the Department of Forestry and the Department of Veterinary & Livestock Development.  Such agreements were put in place following the completion of an environmental impact assessment (EIA) conducted under the Environmental Protection and Pollution Control Act (EPPCA: 1990) as well as inspections of existing operational sites within Zimbabwe that included a report on the management of the animals compiled by the World Wildlife Fund (SARPO) from inspection visits conducted by independent ecologists, the Zimbabwe Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Animals and the Zimbabwe Parks & Wildlife Management Authority. The EPPCA (1990) required that the EIA consider all aspects of current Zambian legislation appropriate to these activities including the National Heritage Conservation Act (1989), the Water Act (1949), the Zambia Wildlife Act (1998) the Forestry Act (1999), the Land Act (1995), the Public Health Act (1930), the Zambezi River Authority Act (1987), the Investment Act (1993), the Tourism Act (1979 &endash; amended 1985), the Local Government Act (1991), the Town & Country Planning Act (1962), the Plumage Birds Protection Act (1915), the Natural Resources Conservation Act (1970), and the Land Conversion of Title Act (1975 &endash; amended 1990).  The International Conventions on Biodiversity (1992) and World Cultural and National Heritage (1975) as well as the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (1994) were also considered. The lions brought in to Zambia to be used within the program have conformed to the provisions of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of the Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES: 1973).  The program is also a member of the Pan African Association of Zoos and Aquaria which provide an ethical standard for animal welfare to operate by. The African Lion & Rehabilitation & Release into the Wild Program is a comprehensive multi-stage program that has been developed since 1999 to assist in the conservation of the African lion (Panthera leo).  Significant research has been conducted in order to produce a workable plan to the extremely complex problem of the reintroduction of lion into areas where the species has undergone severe population decline or has become locally extinct.  The release protocols have been developed with the input of many ecologists, wildlife managers and species experts and in consideration of the Statutes of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) as regards the IUCN/SSC Guideline for Reintroductions as drafted by the Re-introduction Specialist Group of the IUCN's Species Survival Commission. The release program also considers the many environmental factors involved in species reintroduction and conservation as well as the socio-economic effects on local communities living within conservation areas through our Conservation Centre for Wild Africa and ALERT Communities Trust divisions. Any questions regarding the implementation of the African Lion Rehabilitation & Release into the Wild Program can be directed via email at info@lionalert.org Third edition May 2009   ROAD UPGRADE OPENS OPPORTUNITIES The much awaited upgrade and repair of the link road between 'Katunguru' and 'Ishasha' in the Queen Elizabeth National Park has brought sighs of relief to safari operators and private visitors, wishing to explore the southern sector of the park. Previously difficult to negotiate due to large sections of the treacherous 'black cotton soil' the road posed many problems for visitors, and after rains it often became impassable for days, at times even weeks, when a lorry would be stuck deep in the mud. The road is &endash; besides leading through the park &endash; also designated as a public road towards the border post of 'Ishasha' between Uganda and Congo and cargo traffic has been using the road for long, often destroying repaired sections within a short period of time again, due to heavy loads and bad driving skills. A new route is presently being built towards the Ishasha border point, linking from Ntungamo &endash; along the Mbarara to Kabale highway &endash; via Rukungiri to Kihihi and the frontier, a project which has already allowed faster access for visits to the Buhoma area of Bwindi National Park. When this road is complete, heavy goods traffic is expected to be banned from the Katunguru to Ishasha section, leaving it then free for tourist traffic, saloon cars and light goods vehicles and preserving the repair efforts for longer periods of time. This correspondent recently visited the area and was delighted to travel the entire stretch of the road, taking less than two hours, including several photo stops and without breaking the speed limit which applies inside the national park. Not far from the Ishasha area of Queen Elizabeth National Park, where the famous tree climbing lions can be found, is also the Savannah resort, just outside the park boundaries en route to Kihihi, and their private airfield is now a destination for Eagle Air, which serves the field several times a week with their LET 410 aircraft from Entebbe. Visitors, needless to say, can stay at Savannah (and use their hire vehicles to access the nearby parks of Queen Elizabeth and Bwindi) or else stay at the tented safari camp of 'Wild Frontiers' right inside the Ishasha park area. The 'Ishasha sector' of the Queen Elizabeth National Park is home to a range of wildlife, including chimpanzees, and has according to this correspondent's own records dating back to the early 90's at least a population of 260 bird species within the confined area accessible by safari vehicle and permitted walking areas. Good show, good value, come visit this little treasure cove.   PARK HEAD QUARTERS TO LEAVE MWEYA PENINSULA The long awaited move of the UWA park headquarters, workshops and housing units is now imminent and will see a sizeable population shift from the heart of the park to an area near 'Katunguru' where the main road from Mbarara to Kasese (and beyond) crosses the Kazinga Channel. While technically still on park land, as is incidentally the entire village of Katunguru, the new park head quarters are near the main road and generally considered of lesser impact to the park environment than its present location on the Mweya peninsula. There a clash of sorts has developed over the years between the upgraded Mweya Safari Lodge, which presents itself as a fine example of architecture to arriving visitors, only to be neighboured by a rundown park headquarter area which has become not only unsightly but an outright eyesore. Conventional wisdom would dictate that many of the now ramshackle buildings be scrapped and the area restored for wildlife, which in any case freely moves across the area, as sightings of hippos, mongoose, warthogs, kobs and even elephant prove. Watch this space for updates as we try to establish the intent of the Uganda Wildlife Authority in regard of the 'old' buildings and subsequent restoration of this part of the park. No comment was available from UWA by the time of going to press this week, incidentally also confirmed by other parties interested in this development for various reasons who were equally kept guessing. CAA FINALLY HOLDS LICENSING HEARING Some 14 months down the road since the last meeting in 2008, unlike in Kenya where the KCAA holds quarterly licensing hearings, has the Uganda CAA finally, after giving the statutory public notice of the planned hearing in mid April, held the long awaited meeting. Out of the 11 applications scheduled for the public hearing some 6 were for renewals of air service licences and only 5 appear to have been fresh applications to be considered by the board. The applications covered such diversity as cargo operations with a DC10 to air charter operations with small single engine aircraft. No immediate news were available from CAA sources about the outcome but decision are due to be communicated to successful applicants within days. Notably, Skyjet, having been given a one year ASL after the 2008 meeting, also appeared before the licensing committee to get a renewal but had to answer serious questions from the panel over their recent halt of operations and restructuring, which was reported in length in this column. Their representatives did however make an effort to respond to the questions and assured the panel and the public that operations were due to start soon again, now that the troublesome previous shareholder cum director has left the airline. US ENGINEERS BUILD NEW BRIDGE Supported by engineering personnel from the US armed forces and in conjunction with engineers of the UPDF and the ministry of works and transport was a new bridge built in recent weeks, linking the districts of Gulu with the neighbouring districts of Pader and Lira, allowing for an important road link to reopen again. The construction was made possible with funds from the US government to the tune of nearly 400.000 US Dollars and the hands on cooperation has impressed not just the local population but Ugandans at large. Asante Sana &endash; Thanks a lot. UGANDA SHILLING REMAINS DEPRESSED The ongoing slow devaluation of the Ugandan Shilling has now reached the mid 2.200 range versus one US Dollar while a Euro now gets nearly 3.000 UShs when selling to a bank or forex bureau. The devaluation has now reached the 30 percent margin since the onset of the global economic and financial crisis, but while the Ugandan Shilling continues to suffer, as does the Tanzanian Shilling, the Kenya Shilling has made up ground again, trading in the high 76 range from a low point of below the crucial 80 mark. Visitors can hence expect to pay a little less of their hard currency for their locally procured items like carvings, curios, fabrics and even local food, although the devaluation is expected to hit home as all imported items, including fuel, have to be paid in US Dollars, which are now much dearer to purchase. Meanwhile, local media in Uganda continue to bemoan the downturn of tourism arrivals and the potential fallout for the sector, without however offering solutions and counter measures, unlike in other East African countries like Rwanda and Kenya, both of which proactively tackle the current market conditions and have poured resources into extra marketing efforts. Quo Vadis Team Uganda? Watch this space. HOTEL TYCOON SERVES CHALLENGE TO PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE Having been summoned to parliament to appear before the committee on commissions, statutory authorities and state enterprises, Mr. Sudhir Ruparelia, owner of some of the country's top rated hotels, found himself questioned over the pending demanded audit of the Commonwealth Resort in Munyonyo, in which government continues to hold a 25 percent stake. Rules are not clear at which governmental shareholding level an official 'auditor general's audit' (public sector audit body for government's activities and holdings) can be demanded or in fact take place, but there are reliable sources claiming it takes a majority share of at least 51 percent to invoke this provision and that a mere 25 percent is not sufficient. Parliamentarians have for a while been pushing for this audit while some of their other colleagues demanded that government sell the 25 percent share, apparently unable to reconcile the two divergent positions. In a surprise move Mr. Sudhir Ruparelia, obviously fed up to his teeth, has now told the committee that he would be happy to offer government his 75 percent shares in the joint venture for purchase, so that they can at last have their audit. He is reported to have said: 'I am now offering my shares so that government owns the hotel entirely. This way YOU can have all the auditors that you want'. Talk of the honourable members of parliament wanting to eat the proverbial cake and yet still have it. The hotel group owns the Tourist Hotel in downtown Kampala, the Speke Hotel in the business district, the Kabira Country Club, Speke Apartments and of course the Speke Resort and Conference Centre in Munyonyo, a sister property to the Commonwealth Resort on the same large piece of land along the Lake Victoria shores. In addition dozens of residential and business properties, the Crane Bank and the Goldstar Insurance, plus Radio Sanyu &endash; a leading FM station and one of the leading flower farms, are also part of the business empire built over the past 20+ years. BUS COMPANY LOOSES LICENCE Following two major accidents within days, Gateway Bus Services had their licence pulled by government to allow for a full investigation into the road worthiness of their busses and qualification of their drivers. The action follows a series of deadly accidents on Ugandan roads, which caused an outcry from the public and renewed demands that the so called 'speed governors' regulations be strictly enforced. These devices limit speeds of busses and trucks to 80 KM an hour, whereas now the vehicles are often found speeding and overtaking at break neck speeds, blamed for most of the accidents on the roads and responsible for a massive traffic death toll beyond proportions. MOROTO GETS KARIMOJONG MUSEUM The north eastern township of Moroto, located enroute from Mbale and Soroti towards the Kidepo Valley National Park, has now opened a dedicated museum honouring the Karimojong culture. Funds for the venture were given by the French Embassy in the form of a grant, supporting the showcasing of local culture and tradition, something both foreign visitors as well as locals can now witness in the new facility. GORILLA MARATHON SET FOR 17TH MAY IN JINJA This sporting event, which also includes a 'half marathon', will take place in East Africa's 'adventure capital' of Jinja and is aimed to raise funds for conservation measures towards the endangered mountain gorillas. The event is organized by Nile River Explorers, Jinja's leading adventure company, and supported by Uganda's leading daily, the New Vision, Nile Breweries, Rwenzori Mineral Water and a number of other corporate sponsors. Well done! AIR UGANDA CONSIDERING CHANGE OF AIRCRAFT Usually reliable sources from within and close to the airline have given the strongest indication yet that the airline, plagued by ongoing losses, may consider reverting to their initial strategy and using the more fuel efficient Bombardier CRJ, as opposed to their present MD87 aircraft. For some obscure reasons, just a few months prior to their operations start, the airline at the time ditched the CRJ's inspite of paid up deposits and, when their own MD 87 were not ready eventually started up with great grandfather first generation DC9's, exposing them at the time to range of not so favourable comments from the aviation fraternity, travel agents and passengers. It was also learned that the airline has now halted their twice weekly Zanzibar extension due to low traffic volumes, following the halt of their Khartoum extension from Juba, in conjunction with Marsland Aviation of Sudan, which was also stopped last month. Aircraft utilisation now consists of a daily flight to Juba, giving just over 2 block hours, one flight to Nairobi, again just about 2+ block hours and four flights a week from Entebbe to Dar es Salaam, leaving the two MD's more on the ground than they spend in the air. Air Uganda only recently let go their second CEO in as many years, a saga which is bound to continue attracting the attention of this column. SAFARI GUIDE ASSOCIATION TRIES TO CALM TEMPERS Following the 'poll' results published by the association after a get together at the Kampala Museum two weeks ago, which as reported in this column last week raised the heat of discussion in the sector, the chairperson of USAGA tried to make amends of sorts in a further mail broadcast. Information received from those companies feeling injured and misrepresented however also indicates that they felt the absence of such words like 'sorry' or 'sincere apologies' made the mail less than valuable to their purposes and was subsequently called 'hollow' and 'without value for those smeared'. While the good intent of the USAGA chairman himself is not called in doubt, the controversy is nevertheless a sharp reminder what not to do and say in public email broadcasts. EMIRATES SWEEPS MORE AWARDS Information released by the local Emirates office in Kampala confirms that the airline has again swept the board and scooped awards in the annual 'Business Traveller Middle East' awards, being named best airline, best regional airline and best first class. Their frequent flyer programme 'Skywards' also won top honours. Emirates flies daily from Dubai via Addis Ababa to Entebbe and back, offering Ugandan travellers the opportunity every day to sample their award winning services. Meanwhile another airline source confirmed a 6.5 percent rise in passengers in April, a remarkable achievement in view of the present global economic situation. KENYA AIRWAYS SPONSORS 'EAST AFRICA CLASSIC SAFARI RALLY' KQ has once again dug deep into their pockets to become the lead sponsor for this fourth edition of what has become a magnet for rally enthusiasts. Previous rallies have also visited Uganda and Tanzania but no details on the route have been obtained as yet other than the starting point being Mombasa, Kenya's second city on the Indian Ocean shores. The East African Safari Rally started initially as the 'Coronation Rally' and was for a very long time a World Championship event, held annually in Kenya over Easter, when volunteers would take time off to help in the organisation and support 'their' teams. However, motor sports authorities were unhappy with the different dates every year, as Easter is of course a 'variable' holiday, which affected their racing calendar. Eventually the Kenya Safari Rally was dropped from the World Championship but retained their standing for the African title. While there is now a prospect of Kenya returning to the world scene, discussions appear to be well underway, the 'classic safari rally' is still the 'thing to do' as it continues to cover not only the 'full distance' but also features the classic safari cars and their drivers of yesteryear. Well done indeed. KENYA SET TO OPEN TOURIST OFFICE IN DUBAI Alongside attending this year's Arabian Travel Market in Dubai, the East African country is also going to open a tourist information office to promote travel to Kenya. Kenya's tourism minister attended the trade fair and officially opened the KTB offices. Kenya Airways and Emirates fly daily from Nairobi to Dubai and vice versa while Air Arabia flies several times a week from Sharjah to Nairobi. Other Middle Eastern airlines like Qatar Airways and Oman Airways also ply the Nairobi route, offering enough seats between the two destinations. KENYA TOURIST BOARD SCOOPS 'GOOD SAFARI GUIDE' AWARD The Kenya Tourist Board was last week unveiled as the majority choice of the tourism fraternity who participated in voting for the 'best' lodges, resorts, hotels, tour and safari operations and tourist boards. KTB came tops of all in Africa and was duly awarded the 'best marketing organization' prize during the awards ceremony in Durban / South Africa last weekend. Congratulations to Chairman Jake Grieves Cook and all the staff at KTB for their determined effort in not just putting the ship back on level keel &endash; see additional column item &endash; but in fact moving KTB forward to meet the challenges of the economic and financial global crisis head on and winning the favour of their peers. Well done indeed and to add one more, Kenya is now set to use the global popularity of her athletes to promote the country, sources at the tourist board have confirmed to this column. The famous Kenyan distance runners have in the past swept the board in such disciplines as steeple chase, marathons, the 800, 1500, 5000 and 10000 metre competitions, only rivalled by their Ethiopian colleagues and a few others who occasionally break into their domain. In contrast, the Uganda Tourist Board continues to lack funding to fulfil their objectives and carry out its functions, while at the same time falling victim of a lack of cohesion and togetherness with key industry players, several of whom continue in their private feuds with UTB / Tourism Uganda and their CEO instead of working harmoniously together to weather the economic storms sweeping the tourism world. It is also understood that the funding mechanism through a tourism fund development levy is a long way off to become operational as arguments persist who should collect the funds and administer them. There is fear that if these collected funds would first be received into the general government coffers via the 'general fund' that only a fraction would find its way to the intended beneficiaries, defeating the purpose of the levy. Watch this space. KENYA MAY GET NORTHERN WHITE RHINOS FOR BREEDING The last population of freely roaming northern white rhinos was wiped out not too long ago, when the arrogance cum incompetence of the Kinshasa regime's minister in charge brought a relocation to a safe area in Kenya to a halt, all but condemning the rarest of rhino species to extinction in their last wilderness. Their habitat at the Garamba National Park was at the time, and still continues to be a hiding ground for rebels and terror groups, which Kinshasa tolerated there for a long time, before half heartedly joining a combined military exercise with the Southern Sudan, Uganda and &endash; another reluctant party &endash; the UN's MONUC forces. While in Garamba the rebels poached elephant and other game to sell the trophies and fill their pockets with cash and the dozen or so northern white rhinos also fell victim to their disregard for both human and animal lives. Kenya is now being considered to receive a population of the northern white from the Czech Republic, where several are said to be kept in zoos, with the hope to start a breeding programme which could eventually lead to more viable numbers than just those remaining 6 or 7 presently still in Europe. Watch this space for further news on progress of this project. TOURISM GURUS CHARGED IN COURT The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism and the former KTB Chief Executive were charged in court towards the end of last week over their involvement in a major scandal involving the two. During a period of no formal board of directors being in place, the Ministry of Tourism having delayed the appointments, an alleged fraud took place involving not only them but also a former board member. Expenditure worth over 9 million Kenya Shillings was engineered and the trio is now paying the price by standing in the dock answering fraud charges. The matter came to light first through public murmurs and when eventually a new board was appointed, led by Jake Grieves-Cook, it took immediate action, started an investigation, eventually suspended the CEO and then &endash; and here the stories differ &endash; sacked him while Dr. Achieng claims he actually resigned, either way he was gone though. The private sector participant in the saga had some time ago threatened media houses and journalists with legal cases, when the matter and his involvement were reported, but the fact of the prosecution now going ahead put this issue firmly to rest. It appears that all three were granted bail by the magistrate until the 22nd July, when the formal trial is set to begin. Watch this space for updates of this story, which soiled the reputation of senior officials involved in the tourism sector without however doing lasting harm to Kenya's efforts to promote the country. DRAKONIAN MEDIA LAW IN KENYA SET TO CHANGE Journalists hang their heads in disbelief, when last year President Kibaki assented to a draconian media law, which made government and police almighty indeed and had scribes in fear of court and long sentences when doing their day to day work. Simply reporting issues and incurring the wrath of a politician could have resulted in potentially substantial custodial sentences and the wave of dissent and vocal advocacy against the law was therefore only to be expected. Now however parliament in Nairobi has done the right thing for once and put forward a range of amendments, aimed to take the bull terrier teeth out of the law and permit journalists do their work again without living in constant fear of prosecution. TANZANIA TO RECEIVE THREE BLACK RHINOS The Czech Republic has graciously donated three of their black rhinos, kept there in a zoo, to be repatriated to Africa as part of the 'back to Africa' project. The three rhinos will be sent to the Mkomazi Game Reserve as part of restocking and breeding programme and can expect to be given VIP protection around the clock of course. The three animals are already receiving 'training' towards their long flight to Kilimanjaro International Airport near Arusha, where a team TANAPA staff, vets and donor representatives will receive them, before embarking on the road transport to the game reserve. The black rhino species has been poached nearly out of existence in Tanzania and estimates from reliable sources speak of anywhere between 30 to 50 animals left in the entire country. It is expected that many of those will now be relocated to a safe location to start a rhino breeding programme, similar to the successful project in Kenya in the 70's and 80's, which indeed assured the survival of the black rhino in Kenya and has restored viable numbers to conservancies, private and public game reserves and national parks. This correspondent, having been closely involved in bringing rhinos back to Uganda, applauds and commends this initiative and hopes for more such projects, including returning the black rhino species to Uganda. SERENGETI AREA TO GET NEW PRIVATE RESERVE The Serengeti district council last week apparently approved a joint community initiative to create a wildlife reserve covering some 5.000 hectares near or even adjoining the national park for the purpose of wildlife ranching, photographic safaris and create a breeding project for the 'black rhino' now under serious threat in the country. The council is to benefit from annual royalties and ground rents and it is of particular interest that it is a locally rooted initiative, although the new company may at a later stage invite a private co-investor to design and build accommodation and other hospitality facilities. KWITA IZINA SET FOR 20TH JUNE The annual gorilla naming ceremony and festival in Rwanda is set this year for the 20th of June, when the festivities will kick off in 'the land of a thousand hills'. Some 16 recently born gorilla babies will be available for sponsorships and subsequent naming. The festival has over the years become a major tourism attraction for Rwanda and attracts thousands of spectators, corporate sponsors and of course media attention from around the globe. The 2009 festival will be the fifth since creating the event and making it a weeklong series of commemorations and celebrations. In 2007 the name 'Kwita Izina' was pronounced as a new brand, aimed at promoting Rwanda as a major tourism destination. This year's naming ceremony also coincides with the UN's 'International Year of the Gorilla'. Visit www.kwitizina.org or www.rwandatourism.com for more information. This correspondent will be reporting 'live' this year from the event in recognition of the importance of the festivities. RWANDA HOSTS AFRICAN ENVIRONMENTAL FINANCE MEETING The finance and environment ministers from a number of African countries have met last week in Kigali to discuss financing mechanisms for environmental projects, aimed to make Africa's contribution in the global climate change debate. Participating governments, NGO's, bi- and multilateral donor agencies and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa discussed the impact of climate change to African economies and mitigative measures they could employ to halt the trend and eventually reverse it. RWANDA IMMIGRATION ENTERS 'E-AGE' Effective immediately will the immigration department in Rwanda issue new Visa stickers for successful applicants, which can be read by special reader machines installed at the international airport and other key border points. For security purposes the new stickers will also contain a scanned picture of the Visa holder to make identification upon entry easier, while other key data from passports and the application form are also included in the sticker for easy verification on arrival. Visa fees for affected nationalities requiring a Visa to enter Rwanda remain unchanged however. RWANDA CELEBRATES 'WORLD MIGRATORY BIRDS DAY' The executive director of the association for the conservation of nature in Rwanda joined birdwatchers, conservationists and environmentalists in celebrating the annual event. Rwanda claims to have over 140 species of migratory birds criss-crossing the country during the migration periods, which makes the country a well worth destination for 'birders'. Ongoing sensitisation of the population living near lakes, rivers and wetlands is ongoing in Rwanda it was learned with the aim to protect biodiversity and enrich the tourism potential of the country. KIGALI GETS AVIATION ACADEMY Earlier in the week news reached this column that a private company is set to open an aviation training centre at the international airport, aimed to train pilots (fixed wing and helicopter) as well as offering courses for engineering, cabin crews, air traffic control and related subjects. Once complete the centre, due to open by end of 2010, is expected to be certified by not only the Rwanda Civil Aviation Authority but by the other 4 CAA's in the East African region as well as South Africa. Adds this column: 'what an investment in the future of local manpower and the aviation sector in the region.' KIVU SERENA HOTEL STAFF IN ROBBERY ATTEMPT The hotel's cash transfer to the bank was recently subject to an attempted robbery, when a group of soldiers and hotel staff allegedly conspired to waylay the hotel vehicle and grab the money, telling a story of a 'robbery' in their statements. Subsequently police however found the statements of the staff involved differing, prompting further investigations during which most of the money was recovered, and the culprits are now awaiting trial. In further and better news, both the Kivu Serena and the Kigali Serena Hotels have been awarded the prestigious SGS International Food Safety and Hygiene certificates following an independent audit of the hotels' facilities and operations. No other hotel, resort or lodge in Rwanda presently hold such certification. GOMA VOLCANO 'MAY ERUPT SOON' The volcanoes surrounding the eastern Congolese city of Goma are reportedly getting active again, as seismological surveys appear to reveal. More than half of the city, including parts of the airport, were destroyed and damaged in 2002, when one of the volcanoes erupted and lava flows swept into the city, driving the population into full scale flight. The latest of the mountains stirring now is said to be some 20 or so kilometres from the city centre, so an eruption is likely to spare most of the city this time round, should in fact the predictions be true. SUDAN AIRWAYS RESUMES FLIGHTS Reports from Khartoum speak of the May 24th when the national airline will resume flights between Khartoum and Eritrea's capital Asmara, operated by Sudan Airways. The development drew some sharpish comments in the Southern media from mainly Southern Sudanese observers about the cooperation between Khartoum and Eritrea as well as doubting the carrier's ability to safely operate following a string of accidents and subsequent suspension of their AOC last year. ETHIOPIAN DAM PROJECT UNDER FIRE As reported previously in this column, the Gibe Dam in south west Ethiopia has caused a lot of concern to environmental advocates and green campaigners. Some went as far as blaming the upcoming 1.7 billion US Dollars dam for causing Lake Turkana in northern Kenya to dry up. The International Rivers Network, a US based international pressure group, has now also waded into the arguments and projects increased desertification around the Lake Turkana area and famine like conditions for over 300.000 residents and herdsmen in the area surrounding the lake. IRN has appealed to the African Development Bank to therefore review their financial commitment towards the building of the dam, which the Ethiopian government intends to use not only for the domestic electricity market but to export power into the wider region on a large scale. Amongst other banks the NGO also appealed to the European Investment Bank to reconsider their financial pledges. IRN claims that ADB's internal guidelines have been and continue to be violated and that any financing of the project would violate bank policies. They further claim that even Ethiopia's own laws and regulations have been pushed aside with impunity since construction began in mid 2006, such as the untendered award of the construction work to Italian company Salini, the same company which has incidentally delayed the so called 'northern bypass' around Kampala by several years and overshot the initial cost estimate by a substantial multiple. AND, before closing again some interesting news from Gill Staden's 'Livingstonian', reporting about Zambia and neighbouring countries, not so different by the way from the challenges the East African tourism sectors face and have to deal with day in day out: Victoria Falls Town I have been over to Vic Falls Town a couple of times during the week. I visited most of the hotels and many of the lodges/guest houses. The town is quiet, of course, just as we are here. But I was amazed at the standard of the hotels. I thought that they would have become run down, but they haven't. The interiors are still immaculate, as are their gardens. The staff were all welcoming and efficient. Just like the old days. Well done, them. Livingstone had better watch out when Zim comes right ... we are going to have some competition on our hands. I know that some of you are thinking about going over the border as we used to in the past. For those of you, like me, who are on a British passport and need a visa, I renewed mine this week with absolutely no problem. A one-trip visa will cost US$55 which can be obtained at the border. But if you want a multiple, the application has to go to Harare. I dropped in my form, with one passport photo and copies of my passport main page and of the page showing my previous visa, and US$90. I took it in on the Thursday of the previous week. It was a holiday on the Friday but when I called into the office on the Wednesday, it was ready. Efficiency ... how I love it. The town at night becomes the haunt of the elephant. In the mornings as I arrived into the town there were heaps of poo all over the roads throughout the town. I was told that one ele had knocked down someone's wall ... intent on eating the fruit inside. Warthogs too are all over. They love to live at Saf Lodge and Elephant Hills where they make the best lawn mowers ...   Welcome to Zambia On Friday, when I came back from Zim, the border was awash with litter. It was horrid. The baboons were in the bins chucking all the rubbish about as they looked for something to eat. The border, as far as I am aware, is the responsibility of ZRA. I know that Tongabezi does a clean-up quite often as part of their 'corporate responsibility', but ZRA has to be vigilant the rest of the time. If you go into the Port Office in town, which used to be such a mess, ZRA has organised cleaning staff. The premises are clean and tidy. I was so surprised when I saw it, that I commented to every ZRA officer how nice it looked. I was told that they had turned over a new leaf and were going to keep it like that. Well done ... but what about the border? Who is responsible for the collection of the rubbish? The bins were overflowing which was the reason for the baboons having such a big party in them. There was also a broken down taxi in front of the offices ... surely that can be towed away??? From a Katima-ite Still no further info on the border charges. Don't know what has happened with the idea of Namibia, Zambia, Botswana and Zimbabwe becoming one tourist destination. As far as I can see Zambia is doing everything possible to separate itself from the rest of the SADC region. From another Katima-ite All persons except Zambians have to pay US$20 (in US dollars, only) to enter Zambia. Then there is the insurance, carbon tax and Sesheke Road tax (which is anything from R75 to R150). There should be a notice that states what you have to pay. At Kazungula you pay completely different amounts and then at the Vic Falls border it is different again. I go to Livingstone via Vic Falls because it is cheaper and there are less hassles. From a Sesheke-ite We think that the other charge in Dollars is Council Tax (Parking Fee) from Sesheke ???? We will talk to them and see what we can find out. Hope this is effective. They really are giving the wrong impression to prospective tourists. We wish the decision makers would do something positive. Zambia has so much to offer the Tourist. Gill: This last bit of information sounds plausible. I haven't been out to Katima for a few months but this definitely needs to be looked into. If it is a Council Levy (which Councils are empowered to charge), then it is far too much. And it will have to be brought to the attention of the Central Government. A Sad Story of a Wild Dog Clare Mateke The Wild Dogs in Livingstone story took a sad turn for the worse, when one lost its life on Wednesday, 6th May in Natebe area near Lusaka Road about 15 km north of Livingstone.  I went out with ZAWA to see the dead dog, which had been found by Chris, from Mabula Farm that same morning.  It was lying on Lusaka Road, apparently killed by a car.  But on further examination, there were no signs of injury from being run over, but every sign of foul play.  It had a plastic rope tied (by hand) around its leg, and an apparent bullet wound in its rump.  Although the exact cause of death is yet to be determined by ZAWA, it seems likely that it was killed by people nearby and dragged onto the road using the rope to make it look like a road kill.  A lone wild dog had been reported to ZAWA in that area a month or two before.  Perhaps it had taken a fancy to the village goats and chickens. So unfortunately that makes one down for the Livingstone wild dog population, which originated from the Zambezi National Park in Zimbabwe by swimming across the river, seems to have become resident in Livingstone area, and which had apparently reached a total of nine dogs according to one report.  There was also a report that one had pups recently. ZAWA is looking for an organisation to collaborate with in a radio-tracking project for our local population of wild dogs.  This would involve putting radio collars on some of the dogs and tracking them to see where they go.  This might help ZAWA to keep them out of the villages and hopefully steer them towards those numerous impalas in the park.  If you have any suggestions or can help, please contact the Livingstone ZAWA office.  The African Wild Dog is the second most endangered large carnivore in Africa, after the Ethiopian Wolf.  I hope we can find a way to protect our tiny population. AIRPORT POLICE COMMANDANT APOLOGIZES TO IRATE TRAVELLER In a rather unprecedented but nevertheless courageous and highly commendable move has the commandant of the Aviation Police at Entebbe International Airport issued a public apology to an angry traveller, printed in the country's leading daily 'The New Vision'. Days earlier another letter to the editor was published, complaining about three police officers behaving badly and by insinuation trying to extract a bribe over 'wrongful parking' and other alleged 'offenses', including 'talking back' to the officers concerned and 'not being repentant'. Senior Superintendant of Police Herman Owomugisha however, not tolerating such alleged behaviour and the subsequent smearing of the aviation police' image by errant officers, responded publicly, including offering his mobile phone number, which the aggrieved traveller, and others finding themselves in similar situations, should call to provide immediate remedy. This outstanding response deserves to be mentioned as it portrays the efforts the police, especially at the airport, are making to change their image and 'serve and protect' rather than 'grab and harass'. This correspondent's experience, founded on regular visits to the airport, is generally positive but for one single recent case, where a police officer patrolling the parking area, demanded to know why I was sitting in my car, listening to music, rather than stand outside the arrival hall waiting for my passengers. 'It is for security we do not allow people to wait in their cars, they must wait outside arrivals' I was told and when challenging the officer and demanding to see those rules in print or else speak to her superior officer, she beat a hasty retreat. Bouquets galore for the Senior Superintendant of Police and mega barbs for the errant cops giving the force and the country a bad name.   SKYJET RESTRUCTURES, AIMS AT COMEBACK As reported in this column's 'breaking news' some weeks ago &endash; incidentally again beating the established local dailies to the print line &endash; Skyjet suffered of massive differences of opinion between the shareholders and directors, leading to a suspension of flights, a grounding of their aircraft, a halt in the delivery of their second B737 and forced leave for most of their staff. 70 percent majority shareholder Mr. Deng Garang of the Alok Group in Juba had reportedly clashed with minority shareholder Capt. Shawgi who however only held 25 percent of the shares and yet tried to impose himself on his fellow directors in a series of shenanigans which bemused the aviation fraternity to no end, had it not been so serious. That problem was earlier in the week brought to an end when his shares were finally acquired through consensual sale, giving Mr. Deng a clear 95 percent holding and leaving Mr. Tamale Musoke, a Uganda business man also previously involved in aviation, with the remaining 5 percent. As could be expected a mudslinging contest preceded the agreement and Mr. Musoke could not withstand the temptation to fire a parting shot at his erstwhile partner's credentials in the local press, as the sale was certified and documented. It is not known at this stage when the airline can resume operations as the aircraft, having been parked for several weeks, first needs to undergo a technical check to ascertain its airworthiness status and market confidence needs to be restored too, having abruptly halted flights a couple of weeks ago. This left the route to Air Uganda who absorbed the traffic, which will now be a challenge to wrest back from them. This evolving contest over the route will be interesting to watch, especially in view of U7 last week suffering yet another change at the helm and bearing in mind that the Juba route is arguably the most profitable route from Entebbe for any home based airline. Watch this space to follow the 'battle of the skies'. KAMPALA SERENA GETS NEW DEPUTY GM Following the transfer of Daniel Kangu from Kampala to the Nairobi Serena Hotel, Mr. Alan Igambi has now taken up his position as new Deputy GM at the Kampala Serena Hotel. Alan previously served as Deputy GM at the Mombasa Serena Beach Resort and Spa, attaining years of experience before coming to Kampala. He is joining Killian Lugwe, who has been at the Kampala Serena as General Manager prior to the major rebuilding, during the works period and has of course since led the hotel with his team from success to success. The Kampala Serena Hotel is acknowledged to be Uganda's finest hotel and the leading contender for the top slot within the Serena Group. Welcome to Alan from this column and many happy and successful years in Kampala. UGANDA SET TO CANCEL RAILWAY CONCESSION WITH RVR Rift Valley Railways, the initially South African led consortium which 2 ? years ago won the concession to manage the combined Kenyan and Ugandan railway networks, has been given notice that the Ugandan government is set to cancel the concession for failing to meet agreed performance targets. A major restructuring amongst shareholders saw the controversial South African Sheltam Group being sidelined last year, but legal cases are pending it is understood over compensation claims by the former CEO and over other issues. The Ugandan government has set aside, inspite of the present financial crunch, over 8 million US Dollars to provide a financial fallback in case of claims through the court system, although it is understood that government has receive legal advice encouraging this decision and 'dispatching' RVR's management. How the Kenyan government will react in the light of this information will have to be seen, as court cases and injunctions through the Kenyan courts have made a straight forward decision rather more difficult there. As and when the concession will be formally terminated this column will update readers. MWEYA AND PARAA GET NEW VEHICLES Management of the two lodges, soon to be joined by the Chobi Safari Lodge, have confirmed to this correspondent that they have placed orders for two more vehicles for their popular road safari packages from Kampala to the lodges. The Toyota 4 wheel drive luxury 'vans' offer space for 5 passengers, all with their own window seats and have two large sun roofs to take the occasional pictures for the family photo album when passing some of the vantage view points en route to the national parks. Needless to mention, a DVD system allows passengers to listen to their favourite music or watch a DVD portraying Uganda as a top African destination which is available from the driver guide. All inclusive package rates, availability details and bookings for the road safari tours are available via mweyaparaa@africaonline.co.ug Meanwhile, these lodges have recently launched dedicated air safari packages, with flights operated by domestic aviation industry leader KAFTC (Kampala Aero Club and Flight Training Centre) in Kajjansi, which will deliver travellers within an hour from the outskirts of Kampala to the airfield nearest to the respective lodge, in the case of Mweya just steps away from the lodge entrance. In Murchisons Falls National Park the 'Pakuba' airfield is being used, which while some 10 plus miles from the Paraa Safari Lodge allows already a game drive while transiting to the lodge. In both lodges purpose built Toyota Landcruisers with large roof hatches are being used for game drives, operated by experienced driver guides well versed with the area and where to find the all important game. MADHVANI OFFERS MORE SCHOLARSHIPS The Madhvani family business empire in Uganda has recently advertised for fresh applications to receive scholarships of a wide variety of subjects but notably also for intending students of hotel management and environmental studies. The value of this year's scholarships stands at about 500 million Uganda Shillings or nearly 250.000 US Dollars. The scholarships were launched many decades ago and are administered by the Madhvani Foundation, a duly registered charitable trust in Uganda. The Madhvani family, besides other business interests, owns and operates Uganda's premier safari lodges like Mweya, Paraa and Chobi, which is due for re-opening later in the year. EMIRATES GETS 75TH BOEING 777 A source at the Emirates office in Kampala confirmed to this column last weekend that the airline had just taken delivery of their 75th B777, making the airline the biggest operator of this type of aircraft. Several more of these aircraft are due for delivery until the end of the year, but in 2010 the airline is apparently starting to stretch further deliveries until a full economic recovery is visibly underway. Meanwhile the airline continues to serve Entebbe from Dubai, via Addis Ababa, on a daily basis, offering connections at Dubai International Airport into their global network, and also of course offering very affordable stopovers for passengers to sample the emirate's tourism attractions or doing a spot of shopping. GOVERNMENT GETS SMART ON OIL PRODUCTION Recent reports in the local media suggest, that one of the licensed oil exploration companies has floated new proposals to government, to have a pipeline constructed from the oil wells in Western Uganda along Lake Albert to Mombasa's existing refinery, instead of &endash; as initially promised &endash; build a mini refinery on site first to generate heavy fuel oil and other products before increased production would allow an expansion of the facility. The Ministry of Energy has already made it clear however that they absolutely prefer to refine in country and export products to the region, to first meet Uganda's own energy requirements before selling 'surplus' to the neighbouring countries. Government has also asked the oil companies to consider using the gas found to produce electricity, an environmentally more friendly method to generate power than using diesel or heavy fuel oil plants, considering the emissions and the vicinity to game reserves, national parks, forests and neighbouring communities' farms. While some oil companies are said to be sympathetic to government's requests and expectations, at least one other is now suspected of holding back with their investments and roll out plans, endangering the 2010 deadline to have a 50 &endash; 100 MW facility up and running which was to feed electricity in to the national grid to lessen the overall production shortfall. Unless there is a change in attitude to their blatant attempts to hold government and the people of Uganda at ransom, expect them to be named and shamed in due course in this column. Watch this space. AFRICAN UNION SUMMIT SET FOR KAMPALA News broke earlier in the week that the African Union will hold the summit next year in Kampala. Dates will be availed in due course, as the city and the Entebbe &endash; Kampala sector will of course be fully booked and hotel space likely to be scarce. It is also expected that President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni will be elected at the summit as the African Union Chairperson, an honour not only well deserved but reflecting Uganda's present membership on the United Nations Security Council as a non permanent member, representing Africa. INTERESTED IN 'WINGED' GORILLA TRACKING TRIP? The Uganda Wildlife Photographic Safari Company has recently advertised for a 'winged' gorilla trip, which uses light aircraft to land travellers at the nearest airstrip to the gorilla national park, adding great comfort and saving valuable time, as access by road, depending on weather and entry point to Mgahinga or Bwindi, can take a full day's driving. The company had also earlier on advertised 'participatory' safaris where rounding up game for relocation (duly sanctioned by UWA one should point out) or in game counts were well received by the market and the available places sold. Visit www.uganda-wildlife-photographic-safaris.com for more information. UGANDA SAFARI GUIDES VOTE FOR 'BEST' &endash; RAISE CONTROVERSY The Uganda Safari Guide Association has recently sampled their members' opinions and during the International Tourist Guides Day celebrations at the end of April announced the results (non scientific and therefore not meeting standard polling requirements) of an ad hoc poll amongst their attending members as follows: Best Hotel &endash; Kampala Serena Hotel Best Lodge and best lodge managers &endash; Ndali Lodge Best National Park &endash; Queen Elizabeth National Park Best Receptionist &endash; Mweya Safari Lodge, who's General Manager Richard Hodgson was also named as 'best manager'. On the downside, the email broadcast also named 'the worst' and this has according to information available to this column brought the lawyers of those named into the fray for 'slandering' their clients, being 'unjustified and detrimental' to the respective businesses, smacked of personal grudges and arose from a hidden agenda. Predictably therefore the 'poll' raised immediate outcries of both fair and foul since the back ground of the 'poll' was not made public while others in the industry engaged in mudslinging, name calling and making cuckoo land comments, including offloading broadsides against the General Manager of the Uganda Tourist Board, a long time target for some elements in the tourism sector. Mr. Bahinguza had afforded the Safari Guide Association some well meant advice over the manner how the information was sent out and his own concerns over possible litigation but this only seems to have infuriated some of the stakeholders, using the opportunity to vent their long anger against him. Oooops, careful now with that 'send to all' button ... AYA'S HAMID CHANGES TUNE &endash; AGAIN The owners of the so called 'Kampala Hilton' have excelled once again in changing tune when they made 'new' announcements for which they have become so famously notorious. The hotel, when the construction started, was due to be finished for the Commonwealth Summit at the end of 2007, and at the time the Aya's, as the brothers are known in Kampala, proudly pronounced they would finish 'a floor a week' of the proposed 20+ storey structure. Failing to meet the time target several times, ever changing new dates were announced periodically to the bemusement of the general public and the rest of the hospitality industry in Uganda. Nothing of the sort happened of course as history tells, and now, several years into the build, the same man suddenly pronounces that a 5star hotel takes at least 4 years to build, at last demonstrating some capacity to learn from his previous mistaken utterances. At the same occasion the announcement was also made that the hotel would now be ready some time in 2010, again a change from earlier full mouthed statements that the hotel would be finished later in 2009. Watch this space for more changes in the tunes. IN MEMORIAM CAPT. ALEX FERNANDES News reached this column that Capt. Alex Fernandes has passed away earlier this week. He was an initial founder member of the Skal Club of Kampala, when he was still actively flying and managing domestic airlines, but later on he moved out of country before eventually coming back and retiring from the cockpits. Alex will be sadly missed by his family, friends and the aviation fraternity, with whom he continued to interact even in retirement. COMMON MARKET SIGNATURES DUE IN NOVEMBER Following the summit of the East African heads of state in Arusha last week, the signing of the common market protocol was finally agreed for November this year, and working groups were instructed by the presidents to take care of the remaining contentious issues. A customs union was incorporated in 2005 and internal EAC tariffs have progressively reduced and are expected to reach 'zero' for trade within the member states as long as nationality production and origin rules are confirmed. The EAC is, rather too slowly for the taste of many, en route to a full economic union, but several other protocols remain due for implementation, such as permitting the freedom of movement of persons across the region, a common currency and most difficult a full political union. It was notably Tanzania, incidentally also a member of SADC, the Southern African Development Community, which has been slowing things down in the recent past, but mechanisms are now being developed to allow those member states in agreement over issues to press ahead and implement their agreements, while the 'slower' member/s can then play catch up as and when they are ready. It was also suggested to change the voting to allow majorities carry the day, which would &endash; if implemented &endash; allow consenting members to 'outvote' their dissenting colleagues. The 'old' and economically fully integrated East African Community collapsed in 1977 following fundamental disagreements over policy between Kenya and Tanzania, while Uganda was at the time already in free fall as the twilight days of Amin's dictatorial regime descended upon the 'Pearl of Africa'. Kenya subsequently developed into a fairly prospering economy while the policies of nationalisation and socialism in Tanzania stifled development and drove the economy to ever lower levels. Only when Founder President 'Mwalimu' Julius Nyerere finally admitted to having made mistakes, stood down to make way for a new leadership and allowed Tanzania to gradually navigate towards economic recovery did change become possible. In particular the tourism industry has made great strides since the mid 1990's, when initially Kenya based hospitality groups began to invest in resorts, lodges and hotels, later followed by international groups, while permitting capable Tanzanians too to carve out their market share. Unilateral on tariff barriers however, which impede free regional air traffic and cross border safari operations are still a bone of contention and the deeply rooted sentiments often heard in Tanzania against in particular Kenya are clearly not helpful to achieve economic and political integration on the fast track. Watch this space. REGION TO SPEND 35 BILLION DOLLARS ON NEW RAILWAY NETWORK New plans have emerged that the regional governments are now truly committed to rehabilitate their aged railway networks, widen the spoor to internationally accepted standards and add more connections to facilitate bulk cargo movement to and from the Indian Ocean harbours. Passenger transport is also a laudable goal of course, providing affordable and safe long distance transportation, while special carriages or trains can also be used for tourist visitors. The new railway lines include a connection from the Tanzanian inland dry port of Isaka to Kigali and Bujumbura, possibly even connecting into the Eastern Congo, while the Ugandan portion of the railway network is also set to expand into the Southern Sudan and towards, if not into the Eastern Congo. According to information received earlier in the week a ministerial committee and meeting of experts in Arusha recently committed themselves towards the regional development. Added proposal even include linking Addis Ababa in the future to the network while inside Tanzania new routes would also be considered. The East African Community Secretariat was tasked to fine tune the expert's plans and seek funding to have this mammoth project come to life while the respective governments would make provisions in the forthcoming national budgets. Watch this space.   AIR UGANDA LOOSES ANOTHER CEO Following the rather unceremonious departure of the airline's start up CEO a few months into their operations, their second CEO also departed from Air Uganda under similarly clouded circumstances only a year into his tenure. Peter de Wal, a Dutch national, came on board to do better than his hapless Italian predecessor, but he too was now replaced by none other than Hugh Fraser as interim CEO, a former Kenya Airways Commercial Director. Hugh left KQ at the end of his contract, when the Board of the Kenyan flag carrier embarked on some major restructuring, before then joining the AKFED head office in Paris in an unspecified oversight role for their African airline operations. Peter de Wal was apparently summoned to Paris a few days prior to his sudden departure from U7 and consternation has now set in amongst senior staff who are busy speculating what misfortune has befallen their former boss and who might meet the same fate next. The airline had since its inception a mixed bag of fortunes, making a success of traffic to and from Juba, largely in the absence of another jet operator on the route from Entebbe, but are stuck with a single evening flight to Nairobi and four flights per week to Dar es Salaam, which results in a low usage of their two MD 87 aircraft. Twice a week Air Uganda's aircraft is also flying under a code share / wet lease from Juba to Khartoum on behalf of Marsland Aviation, an airline which operates inside the Sudan and is registered there. Peter de Wal was unavailable, or unwilling for comment by the time of going to press although efforts continue to have him offer his side of this unfolding story. A senior CAA source declined to be drawn into the fray, only saying it is a private matter for the company to decide on their CEO and CAA would only ever engage into such issues if regulatory breaches and concerns were under scrutiny and investigation. In conclusion, maybe it is worth a thought to change the board of directors or the shareholders to finally get some stability into this company instead of making the CEO the convenient scapegoat. Those at least were the sentiments of some staff this column spoke with in the aftermath on strict condition of protecting their identity (for good reasons recalling the vindictiveness under the former Italian CEO). These staffers had no good words to say about their board and owners, whom they accused of being misguided by flawed ambitions and neglecting reality on the ground as far as aviation in the region was concerned. Harsh words indeed. Watch this space. KENYA AIRWAYS ADDS FLIGHTS TO JOHANNESBURG / BUJUMBURA / KIGALI Kenya's national airline, also fondly named 'the Pride of Africa', has announced they have added a third daily flight between Nairobi and Johannesburg, reflecting an improved 'climate' between the two countries for trade and tourism and indicating that the airline has left the problems caused by rocketing fuel prices last year behind them. They now also fly thrice a day to Kigali, operated on one of their new Embraer 170 jets, while Bujumbura is now being served twice a day in the morning and evening, also using the new Embraer aircraft. The Bujumbura evening flight arrives there at 11 p.m. &endash; like the last flight from Nairobi to Entebbe &endash; and the aircraft and crew then stay overnight to fly the aircraft back to Nairobi very early in the morning, allowing passengers to connect into the entire domestic, regional/continental and international network's morning flights. The Kenyan flag carrier has cemented their lead role in regional aviation by adding new aircraft, destinations, frequencies and embarking on a vigorous quality control programme, aimed at retaining passengers and gaining new market share across the African continent. KISUMU AIRPORT EXPANSION TO GO AHEAD After years of arguments between the Kenya Airports Authority and local communities over land belonging to the airport, a compromise appears to have been reached. The dispute goes back in the pre independence days, when the British colonial administration had acquired the land to build an airport, and when the long overdue runway extension came up, the communities used their old claims to extract money from government. This now done, the work is on schedule and 500 metres of the 1 KM runway expansion is already completed. Other work and upgrades are also scheduled for Kisumu which should see aviation in Western Kenya take a boost. And here is another interesting excerpt from the Aero Club of Kenya newsletter, courtesy of Harro Trempenau:   CONSUMER PROTECTION NEWSLETTER PLANNED BY KENYA CAA The Aviation Consumer Protection Department (ACPD) of the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) is in the process of compiling articles for its inaugural Aviation Consumer News. The newsletter will be distributed electronically nationally, regionally and internationally. According to Cornel Oguya, Head of Consumer Protection at KCAA, it is the policy of ACPD to present factual and reliable information to aviation consumers and it is seeking informative articles about aviation issues of concern to stakeholders. Of course, there is no shortage of those and, if genuine, your complaints and discussions about issues will be published without fear or favour. Oguya goes on to say: "The articles are expected to contain pictures and other illustrations to help enhance and enrich the contents". Many stakeholders are sceptical about the notion of "Consumer Protection" by KCAA, viewing it as tokenistic PR exercise, because so few complaints have been seriously addressed by KCAA in the past. It will take time for KCAA to rebuild its credibility with the aviators, and this effort may be a first step towards that goal.   AERO CLUB'S 'ORLY CLUB HOUSE' NOW 70% COMPLETE Not long now and all Aero Club members will be able to enjoy the view on the valley at Orly Airpark, Kitengela. The long-awaited Club House is nearing completion and the veranda and bar are receiving the final touches. Orly Airpark recently expanded and now covers 235 acres. A number of projects are under way, including an airport lounge and toilet/shower facilities. The NEMA environmental audit in progress, an electric fence has been commissioned around the entire site and several private cottages and new hangars are under construction. It is planned that the main apron will be covered entirely with Bamburiblox by end - 2009 and that a staff housing block and a new borehole will be completed this year. KP&L connection is also on target. Those who have not visited this new exciting airfield in the Kitengela (along the "Pipeline Road") should perhaps take a look. Take a picnic and watch the gyrocopters, microlights, skydivers and other enthusiasts perform.   KEMPINSKI TO REDEVELOP 'HOTEL 77' IN ARUSHA When news broke that Kempinski Hotels in Tanzania, already operating the Kempinski in Dar es Salaam, formerly the Kilimanjaro Hotel, the recently opened Bilila Lodge in the Serengeti and the Zamani Beach Resort in Zanzibar, would develop the site of the 'Hotel Seventy Seven' in Arusha, critics immediately reared their ugly heads again using the old tired argument of 'Tanzanians have been denied'. There seems more than the 'usual' bit of paranoia going on in this East African country about 'foreigners' owning and operating hotels, resorts and lodges and a report from fellow eTN columnist Apolinari Tairo last week over racism and 'apartheid' allegations in the Tanzanian hotel industry has immediately raised the concern and alarm levels amongst foreign investors. Several sources this column spoke with since then in turn alleged that inspite of their investments in the country's hospitality sector and the jobs they created in the process they are constantly worried over such issues as work or residence permits and feel they are a convenient target and scapegoat for Tanzanian business individuals who lost out on bidding for new concessions, failed to raise sufficient capital to buy or co-invest in projects and then seek cheap political publicity with innuendo and both overt and covert bad talk about investors who 'deny' citizens a 'fair chance'. To think that a leading international hotel management company like Kempinski, which employs over 1.000 Tanzanian staff in their present three operation, should be subjected to such miserly talk? Oooops ... In contrast, foreign investments in the hospitality industry in Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda are not only most welcome but actively encouraged (as long as they are serious and not of the 'Kingdom' sort), which has helped to develop the tourism sectors in those countries with greater speed and without in fact denying the respective citizens their own chances to engage in the sector's opportunities. That said, in those three countries however even citizens of the other EAC member states can acquire and own land and develop it, something Tanzania has hitherto denied them in reciprocity as they continue to stall this element in the negotiations of a common market protocol. Do I sense some misguided paranoia there? It is not always the neighbours who are the bad guys but they are of course ideal candidates when scapegoats are needed. Watch this space. ZAMBIA TOURISM NEWS, COURTESY OF GILL STADEN IN LIVINGSTONE: Lion Encounter Last week I went for a walk with the lions out at Thorntree Lodge. I arrived right on time at 7am for a quick cup of coffee and to watch the Alert (African Lion and Environmental Research Trust) video. There were about 15 of us there.   After the video we climbed onto the bus which took us round to the area where the lions are kept. We were split into two groups &endash; all 15 of us in one group would have been a bit daunting for the lions, I'm sure. We walked off into different directions and our group met our three friendly lion cubs a short distance away. Our three lions were 10 months and 11 months old. They still had the cub spots which showed that they were youngsters. There were four handlers to keep us company and to keep the lions in check. We had all been given a stick in case the lions came a bit close. The stick was not for hitting the lions; it is for pointing at them. Apparently, if you hold up the stick and say 'no' (or something like that ... I would probably use another phrase ...) and they will back off. None of us had to try out this technique fortunately. We were introduced to the lions who were lazing around in the early morning sun. And, after a short briefing to us happy tourists, the lions were told that they could go and play. We followed them along footpaths through the bush and to the river. At one point they stopped to mess around on a fallen tree and seemed to be having a great time; one of them chewing on an old stump. On a couple of occasions two of them would run off into the bush to play. Then, one of the handlers would hurtle after them, calling them to come back. They always did come back and were obviously just having a lot of fun. On reaching the river there was a chance for the lions to relax and have their photo taken ... along with the tourists ... They didn't seem to mind in the least. Some of the tourists seemed a bit nervous while stroking them ... not surprising in the least ... lions are not cuddly domestic kitties ... Lions can only be used in this way while they are young. When they reach 18 months old they should not come into contact with tourists as their good behaviour cannot be guaranteed. Any company that uses lions after this age is dicing with their clients lives We wandered back towards the bus; the lions in front following the path home. When we came to a fork in the path we said goodbye to the lions &endash; we went back to the bus and they went to their pens ... and probably a sleep. I enjoyed the experience. I know there is still a lot of controversy about the Lion Encounter and whether companies should be allowed to use the lions in this way. I am not going to repeat what I have said before. I did, however, read a recent article which was anti ... all sorts of experts were quoted ... and they mostly came from Europe or America. It is all very well living in Europe and stating the obvious that lion numbers are dwindling because of loss of habitat and prey species. That is true and there is nothing that Lion Encounter can do about it. Lion Encounter, though, is using the lions for research once they are past the age where they can be used for the commercial side of the operation. It would be great if we lived in an ideal world; but we don't. Lion Encounter uses the lion cubs in a commercial way. It provides an income for many people and adds to the economy. Yes, after their life of being 'exploited', they are kept in pens and this is a bit sad for such a proud animal. But the Alert programme is trying to give them a good life by introducing them, as much as possible, to large pens where they can hunt and live a relatively normal existence ... It is not ideal ... but, as I said, we don't live in an ideal world. The world, actually, is pretty sick at the moment ... my opinion ... As long as the lions are cared for in an ethical manner during, and after, their use in the tourism industry, it is OK with me. I must say, though, that if I hear of any one of those lions ending up in the canned hunting industry I shall cry foul ... ZIMBABWE RHINOS IN DIRE STRAIGHTS Intensified poaching of rhinos in the Zimbabwean national parks has led to a desperate appeal by Save The Rhino International appealing to conservation groups, individual well wishers and the business communities to donate funds towards an emergency response to halt the deplorable slaughter of the country's rhinos. In my capacity as immediate past chairman of Uganda' s Rhino Fund, which re-introduced the species to the country (they had been poached out of existence in the late 70's and early 80's) and established Uganda's first rhino sanctuary, I feel compelled to publish the entire appeal in my column with the hope that it attracts the support it so richly deserves and extend this much needed help to Zimbabwe to save their dwindling rhinos. These animals are a major attraction for tourists, as and when they start returning in significant numbers to the country. Zimbabwe's tourism industry had suffered great setbacks in recent years but was previously a backbone of the country's economy, next to agriculture, prior to the political and economic crisis erupted following the failed policies of the Mugabe regime. Zimbabwe, now led by a coalition 'power sharing' government, needs this assistance to preserve their wildlife legacy and keep the wildlife based tourism attractions intact, but the budgets for wildlife conservation are minimal, considering the already overstretched demands on rebuilding the Zimbabwean economy. Therefore help is needed now to get the parks and the surviving wildlife ready for the many visitors who want to come to Zimbabwe when the political and economic recovery allows them to visit safely: APRIL 2009 __________________________________________________________ SHIMONI SCANDAL RAGES ON Apparently stung by sustained public criticism expressed in the local media and acid comments made in call in radio programmes Kingdom Kampala has resorted to taking out a full page statement in the local newspapers, trying to counter the range of allegations made against them in the recent past. The rambling 'statement' signed by 'management' &endash; notably not giving any specific name, title or designation, clearly resents the comments attributed to the immediate former State Minister for Investment and current Ambassador to the UAE, Hon. Prof. Semakula-Kiwanuka and seems to blame him for initially recommending a partner company ultimately not chosen and then reacting to the new 'partners' as was reported in last week's column. Kingdom also labours on that they have to 'justify our genuine investment' after part of the new set up was called 'bogus'. In closing the statement offers unsolicited 'advice' to Uganda's new Ambassador in the UAE to 'find allies' and, together with Ministry of Finance and other 'relevant government officials' to visit their offices located in the Jebel Ali Free Zone, Dubai. Meanwhile, the Ugandan government is reported to have formally rejected the new Shimoni partnership following an investigation by the Embassy in Abu Dhabi / UAE over the status of the proposed new partners brought into the fray by Kingdom Hotels. It was also learned at the time that government, apparently ignoring legal threats by Kingdom's local lawyers, has repossessed the land and will not engage with a new investment group to put up a new development on the site. That new group, as per information given to the media by Ambassador Prof. Semakula-Kiwanuka has already posted a performance bond, likely to shut out the Kingdom partnership, although a legal case may well unfold now in the Ugandan courts. The dismissive and contemptuous statements subsequently made by a Kingdom partnerships spokesperson against Uganda's Ambassador was also received with incredulity and anger and may well backfire on them, as public tirades against government and key officials have rarely achieved the intended purpose. In sections of the media a 'power struggle' of sorts between difference political god fathers was also suggested over the decision who ultimately will develop the 15 acre piece of land, making the story ever more interesting. Stay tuned to this column for updated news week after week.   24 / 7 SHOPPING COMES TO KAMPALA With the new 'Oasis' shopping mall at the lower end of (what used to be at one time) the Centenary Park finally launched early this week &endash; the big event was delayed by ongoing access road works &endash; a new shopping experience has descended on Kampaleans. Nakumatt, Kenya's giant supermarket chain opened their 'Oasis' mega store in the new premises and large banners on top of the building are promising their shoppers opening hours around the clock, plus a customer loyalty scheme which will earn them credit points for every shilling spent. This will be a welcome development for many, including this correspondent, as getting up early will allow one to beat the traffic, go to the city, complete the shopping all in one location and be back home when others only begin to stir in their beds. Even travellers going for the early flights between 3 and 5 a.m. from Entebbe can still pass at an open mall mega store and buy something they had forgotten and yet make their departure time, a proposition which will undoubtedly be well received. On the downside, during the first visit to the new mall, it was discovered that extensive building work is still going on everywhere, making the 'official' opening probably rather premature. The escalators still run rather rough, with several of them at the time of the visit under repair (already) or 'adjustment' as one manager put it, while many shops still sported newspapers taped to the windows, i.e. not yet being in operation. The customer loyalty card of Nakumatt, advertised on site as 'available instantly today' also did not materialise and a waiting period of 8 days was suggested ... Oooops ...   MARASA RESERVATIONS OFFICE MOVES The booking office for Mweya Safari Lodge in Queen Elizabeth National Park, for Paraa Safari Lodge in Murchison's Falls National Park and for Chobi Safari Lodge, due for completion later in the year, has moved last weekend to their 'own' corporate premises in the Industrial Area, where other Madvhani companies too operate from. Phone and fax contacts remain unchanged and have of course already been transferred to the new location. Contact them for further information on bookings and tariffs via mweyaparaa@africaonline.co.ug or visit their websites featuring their lodges like: www.mweyalodge.com or www.paraalodge.com   SKAL KAMPALA CELEBRATED 75TH SKAL ANNIVERSARY AT THE METROPOLE Some 90+ members and guests attended the monthly Skal meeting at the Metropole Hotel in Kampala's fancied Kololo suburb mid week, where &endash; at least for the evening - they left behind all talk of the economic crisis and swine flu and rather settled for an evening of good fun amongst good company. The hotel's management, led by outgoing General Manager cum SKAL Club President Rahul Sood and the sponsors, WARID Telecom went out of their way to create a great evening with food, wine and gifts all sponsored for the night while commemorating the 75th anniversary of SKAL's original founding in Paris / France. The available raffle prices too caught everyone's attention, comprising connected mobile phones, WARID gift packs, dinners at some of Kampala's finest restaurants and notably a return ticket to Nairobi, donated by Fly 540, who were represented by their regional sales and marketing manageress Jackie Arkle-Okutoyi. Jackie was in Kampala on airline business and attended the function with their Ugandan management team. A commemorative cake was also cut on the occasion of SKAL International's 75th anniversary, by none other than this correspondent in his capacity as Founder President of Skal Kampala, and ably assisted by several of the club's past presidents in attendance during the evening. This first Skal function of the current club year gives great promise for the next meetings and get-togethers until the end of the year, as both membership recruitment and surveying for a 'Young Skal' club were also carried out during the evening. SKAL to ALL. CHANGES AT THE HELM Skal Kampala President Rahul Sood, by the time of going to press the immediate former General Manager of the Metropole Hotel in Kampala, will be joining the Imperial Group of Hotels as Area General Manager in Entebbe, where he will oversee both the Imperial Resort Beach and the Botanical Beach Hotel. Additional rooms are presently under construction at the Botanical Beach Hotel, which is also undergoing an upgrade. The Skal fellowship meeting was also the last for Serena's Daniel Kangu, Deputy General Manager at the Kampala Serena Hotel, who will be moving back to Kenya to join the Nairobi Serena Hotel in the same position. Sad to see this gifted young individual leave, this column wishes him all the best in his future career.   METROPOLE HOTEL CHANGES HANDS One of the more recent additions to the Kampala hotel scene, opened in October 2007 just ahead of the Commonwealth Summit, was sold by owner Karim Somani to the owners of the Golf Course Hotel and the Garden City Mall, and with the transaction effective on 01st of May the time is right to break the news. No replacement as General Manager was announced as yet and it is understood that the hotel is still seeking a new man or woman to replace Rahul Sood, who left his position to join another hotel group in the country. The Metropole Hotel, under Rahul's management, clocked an incredible 88 percent occupancy for the last year which includes a 60 percent repeat guest situation, a challenge for the new owners to copy in the future. Many guests and patrons of the hotel will be sad to see Rahul move on and will be keenly watching how the new owners will perform in coming months. UGANDA PREPARES FOR SWINE FLUE A task force from the Ministry of Health has been formed to look at logistical challenges arising from the growing number of swine flu cases reported from several locations around the world. Similar to the outbreak of SARS some years ago the team is looking into distributing information about the illness but also into establishing a screening mechanism at the Entebbe International Airport for arriving passengers from destinations where an outbreak has occurred. No cases were detected in the country, nor in the wider region so far, which is reassuring for travellers wishing to visit Eastern Africa in coming weeks. Other East African countries are reportedly also preparing their logistics to deal with the disease in a similar fashion, and the previous SARS and bird flu working groups have been re-constituted for that purpose. It was also learned that EU officials have called for a halt in travel to the United States and Mexico for all but essential trips, and that the bureaucrats in Brussels are likely to enlarge the geographical area of the anti travel advisory as the disease spreads around the globe. It is however hoped that the paranoia is kept in check and the situation will not impact on travel and trade as it happened when the SARS panic kept planes to and from the affected areas nearly empty. The current global economic and financial crisis, combined with widespread fear of travel over the swine flu may otherwise cause the perfect storm for the aviation industry already hit hard over the past one or two years. AIRLINES NOW JOIN CALL FOR SINGLE VISA This column is known to advocate for years now towards the introduction of a single Visa for visitors from abroad to the region, to stimulate more traffic and attract more tourist and business travellers to East Africa. Added to this is the outstanding issue of NOT charging Visa fees to expatriates duly registered in one of the East African member states and allow them and their families too unrestricted travel across the region, many of whom are now spending their holiday time in places where no Visa are required by them. Airlines in the region have now caught on to this demand, seeking to fill their planes with more passengers, and notably the Uganda country manager of Brussels Airlines Mr. Pierre Declerk is quoted in the media of having in fact challenged the scribes to join the cause and demand action from the responsible ministers through their newspapers. Other airline sources, while also supporting the idea, have however not gone on public record yet, a situation which ought to change if they want to succeed in having a single Visa become a fast reality. FORMER TOURISM MINISTER ROCKS THE BOAT In an ill considered broad side the former Minister for Tourism, now deployed in the Prime Minister's Office for 'General Duties', has admitted that she and her colleagues are 'not up to the job', demanding 'capacity building' and 'training' to bridge existing 'skills gaps'. The Prime Minister sensibly declined to comment on the reported gaffe by the Minister but the outburst still made national headlines and attracted a wide range of comments in radio call in shows and elsewhere on the streets. Hon. Janat Mukwaya's departure from the Tourism Ministry was greeted with widespread relief at the time of her leaving the ministry and according to several sources this column spoke to at the time heard sentiments like 'this should have come much earlier' but 'was not a day too soon' and opinion shared by this column without reservations and qualifications. BRUSSELS AIRLINES OFFERS 535 USD FARE TO EUROPE Destinations in the UK and Brussels of course are now available for a limited period of time for a mere US Dollars 535 return, and sales are reportedly booming filling the available seats beyond the airline's wildest expectations. However, it must be pointed out that regulatory charges add easily a couple of hundred dollars on top of this, making airport operators and regulators the odd man out in the equation, as &endash; unlike the airlines &endash; they seem to stick to their extraordinary fee structures irrespective of the economic situation's demands for lower fees. Excellent fares to North America are also available until the start of the summer high season in June. Bouquets for SN and barbs for the regulators on this occasion. SHERATON INTRODUCES NEW WINE SELECTION The Sheraton Kampala Hotel has recently presented a new wine selection, all from a fine vineyard in South Africa. The hotel's F&B team led by Eric Wendel (Director of F&B) and James Rattos (F&B Manager) had prepared for this event for a while as they were searching for suitable new wines to offer to the Sheraton's demanding clientele. A range of 6 red and white wines from the 'Horse Mountain Estate' will now feature in all the hotel's restaurants, bars and catering outlets. Visitors to the Sheraton Kampala can sample the new wines with immediate effect.   MINISTER'S COMMENTS ON PRIVATE GAME RESERVES GET MIXED REACTION Comments made by one of the State Ministers in the Ministry of Tourism, Trade and Industry about the options of privatising game reserves, opting for a public / private sector partnership or having the private sector opening up new 'reserves' promptly received a mixed reaction. Concerns were raised on the regulatory set up and oversight, but going by previous experience the proposition should be taken seriously in order to add new attractions to the tourism sector. The Rhino Sanctuary on Ziwa Ranch, en route from Kampala to the Murchisons Falls National Park, has developed in recent years from strength to strength, is home to 6 rhinos and a range of other game and many bird species, and has added accommodation over the last 12 to 18 months to permit visitors stay overnight and enjoy their visit longer. This 'experiment' was the first ever in Uganda when the Rhino Fund Uganda was given a license a couple of years ago to operate under UWA's wildlife use rights rules. With land use rights secured for the long term and funding raised the sanctuary was then created and equipped at an estimated cost over over 1 million US Dollars while this correspondent was Chairperson of the RFU and has since become a success story of sorts. Other such efforts are now also underway in other parts of Uganda and it is hoped that new ventures will become equally well established.   KINGDOM HOTELS KENYA ALSO UNDER SCRUTINY Having failed to make any impact in Uganda, where the name is now firmly linked with 'scandal' in Kenya too the company has come under the spotlight. Rumours linked to the massive losses Prince Al Waleed sustained with his stock holdings in recent months have suggested that Kingdom Hotels may in fact sell their Kenyan and Tanzanian properties, after spending mega bucks in first acquiring and then rehabilitating the Kenyan hotels and resorts over the past years. The hotel group is also linked to hotel holdings in London and Singapore, where similar rumours have emerged over the past days to the disdain of the Sheikh and his paid mouthpieces, one of whom in Kenya predictably denied the rumours circulating there. What about that proverbial smoke now, of which we got plenty in the recent past in Uganda from this company...   LAIKIPIA MOUNTAIN BIKE RACE SET FOR 12TH TO 14TH JUNE A three day cross country mountain bike race is set for mid June in the Laikipia district in central Kenya. The participation will cost cycling enthusiasts a 200 US Dollar registration fee, or 15.000 Kenya Shillings for local / regional participants. Simple ad hoc tented accommodation will be provided in the grounds of the Ol Gaboli Community Lodge, inclusive of meals which start with a get together dinner on the eve of the race. 'Upgrades' to the bandas or other lodge accommodation is possible at a fee, but limited space is available so first come first serve. Several entry categories are on offer and racers will of course be provided with water stations along the route as well as lunch in the field on race days. Distances to be covered daily vary between 50 and 75 kilometres. Transport from the Nanyuki airstrip to the venue with shuttle busses is available with prior notice. For more information contact the organizers via: www.riftvalleyadventures.com or write to nick@riftvalleyadventures.com OL PEJETA SEEKS EXTRA INVESTMENT IN NEW CAMP The Ol Pejeta Game Reserve has last week formally invited proposals for the establishment of a 26 bed permanent tented camp, demanding from prospective investors a 'high quality' facility. The 90.000 acres conservancy is located in the Laikipia area of central Kenya and was previously a ranch owned by notorious arms dealer and business broker Adnan Kashoggi, before it was foreclosed over debts owed to Lonrho East Africa at the time. On the sprawling property are already two permanent accommodation units, the Ol Pejeta House and Sweetwaters Safari Camp but in view of the expected rise in demand in coming years and the unique location between the Aberdare Mountains (and national park) and Mt. Kenya the Board of the conservancy has decided to act now and seek new investments. Porini Camps in conjunction with Gamewatcher Safaris also operate a small 'classic' tented facility on the conservancy called the Porini Rhino Camp, as do apparently two other operators, while the new camp location now advertised will be a permanent development. Look out for news of the winning bidder as and when the decision will be made. KWS DROPS SUPPORT FOR 'CHEETAH ZOO' The Kenya Wildlife Services has finally decided to withdraw their support to a scheme devised by the so called 'Cheetah Foundation' at the boundary of the Masai Mara Game Reserve. The controversial sanctuary project, according to the latest information received, appears to have aimed at returning young cheetahs, raised in captivity, back into the wild, whereas all previous such attempts failed elsewhere according to the KTF environmental committee chairman Allan Earnshaw. NEMA in Nairobi has initially given a provisional license to the project in mid 2008 but with the KWS support now withdrawn, following further investigations and information received from the conservation and tourism fraternity, it seems more and more unlikely that it can go ahead. Other issues raised in connection with the project are an apparent 'bypass' around the moratorium against more accommodation units in the area, which leaves NEMA with egg all over their faces, prompting them to suggest 'foul play' on the side of KWS, a rather transparent attempt to whitewash themselves over this and other recent controversies for which NEMA Kenya was dragged into the court of public opinion by the media. KENYA / UGANDA RAILWAY BACK ON LINE Repairs on the railway line leading from Nairobi towards the Rift Valley and on to the Ugandan border were carried out in a Nairobi suburb earlier in the week, after security forces provided a safe working environment for the railway staff. Prior to this some agitated mobs, thought to be the same lot which uprooted the railway line several times last year for political purposes in support of one candidate, had threatened the workers and reportedly chased them away. Traffic in both directions has now resumed catering for imports and exports via the Indian Ocean port of Mombasa. KENYA AIRWAYS NOW OFFERS SMS FLIGHT DETAILS In a further innovative measure aimed at making up to date flight information available to their passengers, KQ has now introduced feedback to mobile phones by text about available flights, departure and arrival times. Enquiries can be sent from any mobile, including those of visitors on 'roaming' to the service centre number '7767' and a response will arrive back momentarily. KENYA TO PROMOTE TOURISM AT INDABA FAIR Although individuals have in the past travelled to South Africa to 'sniff around' at the regions most important tourism trade fair, the Kenya Tourist Board and companies were hitherto not permitted to 'officially' attend with a stand, as Indaba was restricted to member states of SADC, the Southern African Development Community. However, at the forthcoming Indaba in Durban Kenya will for the first time attend as an exhibitor. Increasing trade and tourism links between the two countries, which include several daily flights by both Kenya Airways and South African Airways between Nairobi and Johannesburg, however changed the situation in favour of Kenya and hopefully 'buyers' can be attracted at the fair to visit Kenya, and the rest of the East African region. Kenya Airways and the Kenya Tourist Board recently made an extra effort when hosting nearly 200 travel journalists, travel writers and agents from nearly 20 African countries, in order to widen their market reach across the continent. South Africa has been under pressure to lift such non tariff barriers which have been and are impeding free trade and the promotion of tourism under the pretext of only permitting SADC members access to certain events, and ahead of the FIFA world cup next year in South Africa further relaxation of such protective measures are expected. And two aviation items from Harro Trumpeneau's regular Aero Club of Kenya newsletter, which will be of interest to the readers of this column as it demonstrates private sector initiative where the regulators have failed to provide services and answers:   AIRFIELDS DATA BASE MAKING PROGRESS The airfields data base initiated by the Aero Club of East Africa is taking shape on the Club's web site www.aeroclubea.net. It is effectively acomputerized airfields manual, showing mainly Kenyan airfields, including details like co-ordinates, runway headings and lengths/widths, operator details, any cautions, as well as photographs. So far some three hundred Kenyan airfields and airports are available 'on line'. The service is free. All pilots are requested to assist in particular with aerial photos of the airfields. Please forward any pictures of the runways and also 'ground shots' to Alexander Galley who is actively assembling the latest airfield data for the Manual on behalf of the Aero Club. His email address is: alex_galley@hotmail.com. The Aero Club wishes to acknowledge the kind assistance by Capt. Tad Watts of Boskovic Air Charters in providing details of many airstrips in Kenya. The hard work of site moderator Daniel Szlapak, and of Alexander Galley, is also greatly appreciated by the Club.   AERO CLUB INVESTIGATES WEBCAM WEATHER REPORTING SYSTEM One of the greatest problems with aviation in Kenya is the lack of accurate meteorological data and weather forecasting. The Met Department only provides rudimentary information and TAF's and METARS are only available for HKJK (Jomo Kenyatta International Airports) and HKMO (Moi International Airport. There are some web sites, mostly based in Europe and USA, that publish medium range forecasts and also satellite photographs (see "Links" page on the Aero Club web site www.aeroclubea.net), and recently the "Metmonkey" site began to publish African and Kenyan weather information. A new system, being contemplated by the Aero Club Committee, is a network of "webcams" placed strategically on cell phone towers throughout Kenya. The photographs taken by the webcams would be updated every two minutes and users could click on a "Webcam Weather Site" for Kenya, to look at the latest weather picture in the general area to which they are flying. A good 'live' example can be found by checking the Rift Valley Academy webcam at Kijabe that shows fresh photos of the Longonot - Rift Valley area every two minutes. Check http://kijabe.org/cgi-bin/longocam.pl The photo  gives the pilot (with computer access) a pretty good idea what the weather is in the Rift Valley. The concept is, to place such webcams in places that are notoriously giving headaches to VFR pilots, such as the Aberdare Corridor, Nairobi's Ngong Hills, the Mau Escarpment, etc. Costs and modalities have to be discussed first and you will be kept updated on progress on this project.   PRECISION AIR GETS NEW ATR 72 Tanzania's premier and biggest private airline, Precision Air, has just taken delivery of another brand new ATR 72-500 as part of a large order placed last year with the French manufacturers. Two of the seven aircraft on order had been delivered previously already. The new aircraft, once put into service, is expected to boost capacity on both domestic but also regional routes, where Precision Air is now the predominant Tanzanian airline. The carrier is co-owned by Kenya Airways, of course the premier international airline in the East African region, which invested heavily in past years in the Tanzanian carrier and owns the maximum legally permitted 49 percent of the company shares under Tanzanian law.   MKOMA BAY BEACH RESORT PROMOTES IN KAMPALA Mrs. Lisa Lind, one of the owners of this recent addition to the beach circuit in Tanzania has been in Kampala during the week, busy promoting holiday packages to this exclusive and secluded beach camp. Located near the Pangani River along the sandy Indian Ocean beaches the small and exclusive resort offers a 'Swahili' house with 4 bedrooms, ideally suited for families, besides which clients can choose between one of five beach bungalows and 7 spacious self contained tents. A swimming pool cum bar and lounge and of course an airy restaurant round up the facilities available. Resort guests have the free use of mountain bikes and kayaks and activities, such as trips up the Pangani river by a traditional dhow, are on offer in the area and are organized by the owners. Scuba diving and, to a lesser extend deep sea fishing, are also available from the resort. The beach resort can be reached by road from Dar es Salaam, by boat from Zanzibar and by air from Arusha with Regional Air to Pangani or from Dar via Tanga by Coastal Aviation. Visit their website for more information at www.mkomabay.com EXPLOSIONS IN DAR ES SALAAM 'NO ACT OF TERROR' Several explosions rocked the commercial capital of Tanzania yesterday, when an army base ammunition dump at the outskirts of the city reportedly exploded, causing panic amongst the Dar populations. Large clouds of smoke were seen rising over that part of the city. Wide spread damage in the immediate vicinity and some more distant areas was reported in the local media, as well as an unspecified number of casualties, filling available hospital beds to the brim. Fleeing residents caused traffic jams and in the ensuing panic people were reportedly also trampled and injured. Dar es Salaam's American Embassy, together with the US Embassy in Nairobi, were bombed by a coordinated and timed Al Qaida attack in 1998 and this unfortunate accident brought back those memories with a vengeance. RWANDA ATTRACTS NEW SPORTING EVENT True to their ever innovative colours has Rwanda now become the host of the 'Tandem Rally' where mountain bikers use 'tandems' or two seaters to compete in Rwanda's mountainous terrain thought ideal for the sport. None other than the Deputy CEO of the Rwanda Development Board and Head of ORTPN, Mrs. Rosette Ruganda, made the announcement last weekend in Kigali, when she revealed details of the event. The sporting extravaganza is underwritten by European events company 'Absolute Blue', which will be promoting the race overseas. Hundreds of competitors and spectators are expected to come to Rwanda next year specifically to participate and watch the race, which will spread over several days between 30th January and 07th February 2010. The race will start and end in Kigali an traverse extensively across the country, allowing everyone involved, be it competitor or spectator, to sample the beauty of Rwanda's landscapes. Rwanda is thought to have been selected owing partly to her three consecutive 'Best African Exhibitor' awards collected at the ITB in Berlin, which has attracted huge media coverage and raised interest levels from other sectors like sports to engage with the 'land of a thousand hills'. However, strong governmental political and budgetary support for tourism promotion and the ability by key staff of ORTPN to identify new opportunities and translate them into concrete action in the market place are the main factors for Rwanda's ongoing success story, which makes it the envy of many others in the region.   MAYOR NOW BLAMES TECHNICAL ISSUES FOR HOTEL DESTRUCTION As reported last week a hotel was partly torn down on instructions of the local mayor, who in the face of rather negative publicity and pressure on her decided to blame the event on 'technical issues' while denying that any personal disagreements or dislike between her and the owner's wife played any role in making the decision. She dragged the district director of lands into the news conference to sing to her tune, which the man willingly did last weekend. Citing issues related to sewerage, both of them maintained that the hotel extension needed to be destroyed, in addition mentioning obscure 'security reasons' and protecting citizens. Other sources from Kigali reported that a spokesperson for the Rwanda Development Board and the head of ORTPN both expressed their concern and regret over the unfortunate demolition of parts of the hotel, acknowledging that Rwanda needs more hotel rooms and investment in the country continues to be welcome. One source in particular referred to other known cases where not all permits had been secured in time for building extensions and more facilities and blamed the vengeful mayoress of being selective in her application of the demolition order, giving credence to the allegations made earlier last week that a personal feud was the underlying factor for the event. In a further development the event also attracted an intense debate within Rwanda over the way the mad cap mayoress acted, not allowing valuables to be removed from the site before the demolishing began, and what the implications will be for other investors who come to learn about this sad story.   JUBA CAPITAL MASTER PLAN DEFERRED Following discussions within the Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS) and the Government of Central Equatoria State, also located in Juba, the capital city development masterplan was halted for the time being, to allow for wider consultations within the various layers of government and civic society in Southern Sudan about the location and subsequent development of a well structured capital city. Immediately after the Comprehensive Peace Agreement was signed in early 2005 the town of Rumbek was floated as a new capital for the Southern Sudan, but when Gen. Garang died in a helicopter crash in mid 2005 the idea was put on the back burner and Juba was initially chosen for its existing infrastructure and easy access from neighbouring countries as seat of the Southern Government. The interim constitution of 2005 also suggests that Juba should be the capital city for both GoSS and the state government. However, issue shave since then arisen between state and central government which need to be resolved first before making major financial commitments towards a master plan development of Juba in coming years. SERIOUS SNUB FOR BASHIR South Africa has delivered a serious blow to the leader of the Khartoum regime, when making it known publicly that Bashir would not be welcome for the inauguration of president elect Jacob Zuma on the 09th of May. Sections of the media went as far as suggesting that Bashir could in fact be arrested on arrival should he dare to come and visit for the occasion. Unlike some others South Africa has drawn a line in the sand and put distance between their democratic credentials and the Sudanese pariah leader. Concludes this column that notice has been served to Bashir that not all African countries will tolerate his shenanigans and a number of African countries are ready to execute the ICC arrest warrant should the opportunity arise. IVORY BANK MOVES HQ TO JUBA This indigenous bank, up to now headquartered in Khartoum, has last week moved to Juba where the new head office will be located. The move was applauded by the Southern political leadership as a promise fulfilled. Ivory was formed by private interests several years ago to cater for the Southern population living in Khartoum at the time and has made a change in banking services when opening a number of branches across the Southern Sudan. Meanwhile, also in Southern Sudan the Nile Commercial Bank Ltd. New Sudan, is reported to have run out of cash and told customers to wait for withdrawals, as the financial crunch accelerates. Sources in Juba are blaming the regime in Khartoum for not releasing sufficient funds from the oil revenue share agreement with the objective to destabilise the Southern government, leaving the population and businesses there to struggle with the adverse conditions. SOMALI PIRATES ATTACK CRUISE SHIP Last Saturday night saw a night mare scenario unfold for the passengers and crew of an Italian cruise liner 'MS Melody' in the Indian Ocean waters hundreds of kilometres off the coast. The more than 1.000 passengers, amongst them many German tourists besides a number of other nationalities and the crew were lucky that they had armed security personnel on board, which reportedly repelled the attack under heavy gunfire from both side. A German navy unit was in the wider vicinity but reportedly unable to reach the scene of this latest terror attack by Somali pirates fast enough. At the time of filing this report no details were available about injuries of those on board or the fate of the pirates although the ship sustained some damage. The ship reportedly came from the Seychelles and was enroute to reach the Suez canal when being attacked some time before midnight on Saturday night. Earlier that day a German cargo ship was hijacked by the terrorists when again navy units were unable to stop the attack. This column has repeatedly raised the issue but none of the widely demanded action has so far materialised, such as attacking the safe havens of the pirates on land, using either conventional air assets our of Djibouti or other bases in the region or unmanned drones similar to those used in Pakistan and Afghanistan to spot and deal with targets. Recent action by the Canadian navy to let nearly a dozen pirates loose again 'because they did not attack a Canadian ship' sounds ludicrous enough and time is running out fast now to redefine the rules of engagement, using both naval and air assets in the region to aggressively pursue and neutralise pirate targets. Reports from on site aid agency personnel in Somalia, received by email from them while on R&R at the Kenyan coast, also speak of increasing suspicions amongst them that sections of the pirates are in fact in league with militant Islamic forces aiming to take over Somalia once again, creating a potential training and replenishment ground for Al Qaida friendly units and recruits. This column also raised very recently the spectrum of a cruise liner being hijacked, which could lead to a bloodbath amongst passengers. Again the question is now raised, does it has to come to this to have the international armada around the Horn of Africa decisively engage the terrorists and deal with the menace once and for all? Meanwhile the Somali 'leadership' is holding out the begging bowl asking for hundreds of millions of dollars to allow them 'deal with the problem' but being in office courtesy of African Union troops, mainly supplied by Uganda, immediately raises the question if they are serious enough or even have the capacity to prevent further acts of piracy. Watch this space. And in closing some more material taken from Gill Staden's 'Livingstonian', covering Zambia and the nearby areas: Rhino Walking The rhinos were brought into the Park in August last year. They were kept in a boma until December. The reason for keeping them there so long was to make sure that they were happy with their new environment &endash; the sights, sounds and smells &endash; but also to make sure that all the security arrangements were in place. ZAWA did not want to have the same fiasco as before when poachers got in and shot the last lot. As the rhinos were released into the Park during the rains, they quickly took themselves over to the north section of the park. Here is it quiet and few visitors to disturb them. They are still in that area now - there is water around for them to drink. So let me tell you about the Rhino Walk. I was taken out by Bwaato Walking Safaris. I was picked up early outside Fairmount Hotel and joined three Australian ladies who were on holiday in Livingstone. I climbed on the back of the safari vehicle ... and it was cold ... We drove sedately to the Park along the main Kazungula road and took a track into the northern section. Here we found our game scout, Max, who was to accompany us. Tony Bwaato then gave us a brief (can Tony be brief??) talk on safety and what-to-do's and what-not-to-do's. Then we set off in single file to look for the rhinos. The grass is still quite long and we waded through the stuff getting those sticky grassy bits in socks and trousers. We hadn't gone far when Tony noticed rhinos in the bush to our right. We were signalled to be quiet and walked around to a good viewing spot upwind of them. These new rhinos are still a bit of an unknown quantity regards their friendliness to us humans. What is known, though, is that they really don't like us very much and prefer to be on their own. As Tony explained to us, rhinos don't have any predators so they are never scared by anything that comes near them ... and if they get a bit irritated they charge, spear their irritation, throw it in the air and then trample it to death ... or something like that. So we kept our distance and finally got quite a good viewing point on an old termite mound. It was still difficult to get a good photo of them because the grass was long and the rhinos were having a great time feeding on the vast volumes of grass that they need to keep them fit and healthy. We watched the rhinos from a safe distance for about half an hour and then wandered back to the vehicle. It was fun. I really enjoyed it. And it is nice to see such amazing animals. The Australian ladies too were very happy with their morning stroll through the bush. The picture above, I know is a terrible one of rhino bottoms, but I just wanted to let everyone see that there are five rhinos in the park. I think you can just make out the five of them. Apparently, they have already been mating. So, if we are lucky, in about 16 months we will have some little ones. After our walk in the park we went off to have breakfast by the river. We went to the southern section of the park through the back entrance and had a picnic by the water's edge. I also visited the loo ... not to be recommended. I think ZAWA can do better. A hole in a block of concrete is not what we should expect, considering the income that the park receives from its visitors. Another irritation was to see all the litter in the park. Near the picnic site there were plastic bags and papers lying around and, although there were litter bins (donated by someone) ... and they were all full. ZAWA has to understand that they are in charge of the environment and litter should be one of their major concerns. It is not only unsightly but it can also kill/maim the wildlife. After breakfast I did a bit of grovelling ... Tony, could we drive through the park on the way home? No problem, said Tony. Fantastic. So, after breakfast we all climbed into the vehicle and went for a drive. We first came to a road block. A bridge was being repaired and the road was closed. Of course, there was no notice to let us know before we got to the obstruction ... So we did a U-turn and found an alternative road through the bush. The Chinese are re-gravelling many of the roads in the park so that they are 'all-weather' and accessible even in 2-wheel drive. Good idea ... but the park fees put anyone off ... And ... while going around this detour we found that they are digging gravel/laterite from the Park!!!! Absolutely shocking!!! But I am sure that it is far too expensive for them to go and get their materials from outside the Park (a bit of sarcasm) ... why should they care about the environment. Of course they don't. But surely ZAWA should???? How on earth did ZAWA give them permission to do this in the Park??? I have got to the stage where I cannot be astonished anymore about what happens. It just made me sad. So, I turned my attention back to the animals in the park. There were so many young and it was great to see. We found a small herd of zebra with young. They had a dust bath while we watched. And then we came across a herd of giraffe with two young. They are the strangest-looking animals, goodness knows how they evolved to be so odd and yet so graceful. Love them. Our herd of giraffe have been alone in the Park for a long time now. There is a need, and ZAWA is looking into it, to bring in some new giraffe to increase the gene pool. It is so important. The giraffe are content in the park but they need some new friends. And then, of course, we found the impala. We saw buffalo in the distance across the floodplain. A waterbuck family was lazing by some water near the road; a couple of young from this year happily munching on the grass. And then, one of my favourites is the water monitor. We found one walking across the road. He wasn't in the least bit bothered by us, took his time moving from the river to the floodplain. So not only did I have a walk to see the rhinos but had a game drive thrown in. Thanks, Tony, it was very enjoyable. Toka Leya Toka Leya is a new Wilderness lodge in Livingstone. It was opened in May last year. I had had it on my 'list of places to visit' for ages. Finally, this week I took the time to go and see. The Lodge is within the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park at the old Imusho village. The water is still high in the river and, although Toka Leya is on the river bank, it has had the forethought to build on raised platforms. Good thinking ... There are 12 tented chalets, 3 of which are family rooms. They are beautifully furnished, with air-conditioners and a large deck outside for guests to relax and enjoy the view. The central area has a lounge, dining room, bar and swimming pool. All are raised up on platforms so the bar area which is closest to the river now has water lapping underneath.   The lodge has continued to be busy even though tourism is going through a tough time. Being part of Wilderness, of course, they have a big marketing department. Also they have taken advantage of the fact that other lodges have been flooded and they have had to take on guests from them. Brian, my guide around Toka Leya, took me to the 'back of house' where I was shown the sewage system, plant nursery and worm factory. Not many lodges that can be proud of their sewage system, but Toka Leya is. They are using a series of large drums into which the sewage is pumped and circulated. The sewage is eventually broken down and becomes clear water which is used on the plants in the nursery. It is obviously very scientific with chemicals/bacteria working on breaking down the waste. But definitely something that more lodges or businesses can use. The plant nursery has been developed because of the environmental degradation in their area. Having once been a village, many of the trees were cut down for firewood. Now Wilderness is replacing the trees so that the land around them is brought back to its original glory. Sioma/Ngonye Falls Last week I wrote about ZAWA fencing the area around the Falls and charging an entrance fee of US$5. I pointed out that the land does not belong to ZAWA; it does, in fact, belong to National Heritage (NHCC). I heard from NHCC and they told me that they will 'look into it'. Let's hope that they do. Wildlife Conservation Society Notice for the Annual General Meeting           neral Meeting for the Wildlife and Environmental Conservation Society of Zambia (WECSZ) will be held on Saturday 20th June 2009 at the Southern Sun, Ridgeway, Lusaka. The time for the meeting is set at 09:30hrs.  All nominations for Executive Committee (EXCO) positions must be submitted to the National Office no later than 23rd May 2008.  Please use the attached form for nominations. For any information, please contact:  National Office, P.O. Box 30255, Lusaka, Zambia Telephone: 260-211-251630, Email: wecsz@zamnet.zm NEW 'CHOBI LODGE' TO OPEN IN NOVEMBER The 'new' Chobi Safari Lodge which is presently being rebuilt from the ground up, is making steady progress towards its completion. Once ready the lodge, situated right on the banks of the river Nile, will offer a wide range of accommodation. The main building of the lodge will, as in the old days, offer 30 standard twin and double rooms, three suites and a 'Honeymoon Suite all with their own balcony offering spectacular views towards the river. In addition, as part of the new development and expansion, 21 self contained luxurious tents located along the river bank will complement 6 deluxe rooms, a three bedroomed family house and a presidential cottage within the lodge grounds. Further facilities are a conference room, also overlooking the river and able to seat up to 70 people, a cascading swimming pool and of course the usual bar and restaurant facilities one comes to expect from a 5 star upmarket lodge. It was the extra work which delayed the completion from initially middle of the year towards the end of 2009. Chobi is located above the main Murchison's falls along the strip of river coming from the Karuma falls in the 'upper' part of the national park. Since the old Chobi Lodge was destroyed at the end of the 1970's by troops withdrawing from the liberation forces, this more wooded part of the park was not much accessible but the forthcoming opening of the lodge has also led to UWA opening up tracks and roads again, with a separate gate serving visitors for ease of access. The new lodge will cost an estimated 8 million US Dollars and adds extra accommodation to a park which is much in demand by visitors from abroad due to its unique flora and fauna, its landscapes and of course the famous Nile waterfalls. CLOUDS ON AWARD SHORTLIST This most recent addition to the Wildplaces Africa stable, located at Nkuringo just outside Bwindi national park, has been put on the shortlist for the prestigious 'The Good Safari Guide Award' which recognizes every year the best safari lodges, safari camps, beach resorts and related properties. This information was received during the week from the Mirada Travel Group. 'Clouds' was nominated in the best new eco-lodge category, a testimony to the level of quality visitors can expect when coming for gorilla tracking to Uganda. Visit www.wildplacesafrica.com for more details. No other Ugandan safari properties appear to have made it on the shortlist though, a challenge to change this for the 2010 edition. SKAL KAMPALA HOLDS FIRST MEETING UNDER NEW PRESIDENT The Metropole Hotel will be the meeting ground on 29th April for Skalleagues and guests, when the meeting schedule goes underway for the new financial year. Mr. Rahul Sood, the Metropole's General Manager and also the current club president, will be sponsoring gifts, welcome drinks and the wine for the night while WARID Telecom will be underwriting the evening meals from the hotel's highly rated Thai restaurant and provide a range of raffle prices for Skal members to win. Talk of coming into office with the proverbial 'bang'. Skal Kampala meets every last Wednesday of the month (except in December) and convenes at changing venues across the city and its environs. UWA DECLARES 2009 'YEAR OF THE GORILLA' The Uganda Wildlife Authority has last week launched their 'Year of the Gorilla', releasing some interesting statistics at the time. Compared to the early 1990's, when of course no gorilla tracking took place in an organized fashion, UWA took some 3.3 million US Dollars in receipts for tracking in 2008, making it the best year ever. The figure constitutes slightly over 50 percent of the revenue generated by UWA through gate receipts and other services available for visitors but also from concession fees and royalties. According to the UWA Executive Director Moses Mapesa the wildlife management body aims to add more habituated gorilla groups for tracking with a projected income of over 5 million US Dollars in coming years, cementing tracking of gorillas and other primates as the most profitable and most sought after tourism activity in the country. MAY DAY HASH GOES INTERNATIONAL The Ugandan 'chapter' of the Hash House Harriers has organized a May Day weekend hash in Kampala, Jinja and Entebbe, for which a sizeable number of hashers from across Eastern Africa and the rest of the continent are expected to assemble in Kampala. Main sponsor of the event is none other than MTN who have generously contributed to the organization of the 'Africa Hash' event. Moonberg Breweries is the second major sponsor of the event and it is expected that their beer will be flowing freely after the hashers have ended their run and worked up some serious thirst. More information about the event can be found at www.africainterhash2009.com or mail your enquiry to the following address: africahash@gmail.com Kampala Hashers normally run every Monday evening at various venues across the city and visiting hashers are of course always welcome. SKYJET REMAINS GROUNDED The squabbles amongst shareholders which recently caused the upstart airline to halt flight operations, have apparently not yet been resolved. The single B737 remains on the ground on a distant parking position at the 'old airport' side and the envisaged delivery of a second aircraft is now not likely until the quarrelling parties have sorted themselves out first, if at all. Another reason emerging may be the financial squeeze in Southern Sudan, where the majority shareholder operates his other businesses, as presently there is a severe shortage of foreign exchange gripping the economy with little relief in sight. The main beneficiary of this situation is of course Air Uganda, which now enjoys a free run on the route and operates with high average load factors both to and from Juba, although Eagle continues to operate their turboprops LET 410 and B1900 via the Southern Sudanese town of Yei to Juba. KINGDOM UGANDA YIELDS MAJORITY SHARES The Ugandan misadventure of Kingdom Hotels Sheikh Al Waleed, often reported in this column, has now taken a new twist when investigative Ugandan journalists unearthed their deal with Dubai based Azure and Kensington Groups for the development of the Shimoni land. Kensington has been diddling in the Ugandan property development market for the past few years and now appears to have taken a sizeable number of shares in the 'joint venture', knowledge of which the Ugandan government has denied until very recently. A crane has now been erected at the site sporting a 'Kingdom' banner, but this has invited both acid as well as humoured comments across town. Reports in the Ugandan media now speak of the project being stretched over at least three phases before the entire scope has been realised, although 'new' plans are reportedly being drawn up, stretching the process yet more. No information was however available as to the eventual management company selected to run the hotel, when it is finally completed, hopefully 'before Kingdom comes' as the street humour refers to the project. The projected cost of the project was also reduced to some 80 million US Dollars from a previously very different higher figure. Stay tuned to this space. SHIMONI SCANDAL JUST NOT GOING AWAY Regular readers will be well acquainted with the scandal surrounding the former Shimoni Primary School and Teachers Training College, which was abruptly demolished to make way for a 5 star luxury hotel, Prince Al Waleed of Saudi Arabia had proposed to put up for the Commonwealth Summit in 2007. Yet, today nothing of the sort has happened and while the sheikh 'donated' some 2 million US Dollars for the rebuilding of the school and college he got the land for well near free. Recent cost estimates now suggest that the college alone will cost government some 4 million US dollars to put up elsewhere, the cost of the school not included in this figure of course. In a more recent column it was reported that the sheikh due to a lack of liquid cash and credit had partnered with a new group to finally start construction, but hey presto, here come more breaking news triggered by the former Minister of State for Investment and current Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates. Prof. Semakula Kiwanuka and his successor in office had apparently written to the UAE authorities to get clarification on the status and standing of the UAE group peddled as a serious co-investor and to no surprise the company in question apparently only exists on paper ... The former Minister and current envoy is now quoted in the local media to have said: ' Can you imagine a company that comes to do multibillion (sic: Uganda Shillings) investments when they only have a trade name? That is bogus!' Continue watching this space to stay informed on this never ending story, which has caused huge embarrassment to the government over the years and has become a focal point for opponents of 'free land give aways' to bogus investors who trick their way into high governmental offices in order to appropriate themselves a piece of Uganda's resources. GREED AND ENVY LOBBY AT IT AGAIN The usual lot opposed to the contract between the Uganda Wildlife Authority, the Nkuringo community and a private investor, backed by the African Wildlife Foundation and USAID amongst others, have reared their proverbial heads again when meeting the new Minister for Tourism, Trade and Industry recently. There have been some isolated but nevertheless ugly racial undercurrents raised over the issue, as the company managing the 'Clouds' safari lodge is owned by 'muzungus &endash; or whites in Kiswahili'. This is a disquieting development in an otherwise racially well integrated society free of the regular slurs and innuendo seen elsewhere against minorities. Uganda has generally a fabulous track record in warmly welcoming and integrating foreigners and these attempts reveal the level of desperation for having failed to get the contract cancelled so far and condemn the Nkuringo community to bystander status, after they gave their land use rights to UWA to expand the habitat of this particular gorilla group. It also pays no attention to the increase in 'trackable' gorilla groups habituated by UWA in the recent past, which has already increased the available daily permits considerably. It is also understood that more habituations are ongoing to further add more capacity into the tourism market, as long as it is sustainable and not harmful in any way to the social fabric of the groups or would impair their breeding patterns. It was also established that a contract cancellation would inevitably lead to a legal case over breach of contract which could reach multimillion dollar figures besides the subsequent negative fallout with AWF and USAID who had designed the project and partly financed it. Hence, the Minister was rather guarded in his response but did promise he would 'consult' with his predecessor in office, who had not yielded to the demands during her time at the helm of the Tourism Ministry. The 'greed and envy' lobby also had another go at such established companies like the Madvhani Group, which owns and operates some of the country's most impressive safari lodges in Queen Elizabeth and Murchison's Falls national parks, accusing them too of 'monopolising' the market, a ludicrous suggestion when considering that in each park other accommodation exists both inside as well as outside the park boundaries, covering several varied market segments in terms of pricing. The 'early' investors, who came on board in the early and mid 1990's, received a contractual 'exclusion zone' of varying diameters around their lodges, to not only allow them reach financial sustainability but also avoid developmental overcrowding in ecologically sensitive areas according to approved park management plans. In any case, the previously dominant school of thought to build inside protected areas is now progressively shifting towards building new lodges outside the park boundaries. Those therefore now seeking a slice of the cake, i.e. trying to reap where they did not sow, also conveniently overlook that companies like the Madvhanis have for many year born substantial losses from their lodges, when anti travel advisories and poor market conditions did drive the lodges to the brink of financial ruin. Finally, attacking the Madvhani family, as was reported from that meeting, because they are 'rich' is a dead giveaway for the real motives of that disgruntled lot, aimed at redistributing wealth almost by force but certainly at their terms and preferably into their own pockets. Oooops. DATES FOR 2011 ELECTIONS OUT The Uganda Electoral Commission has last week announced the proposed dates for the political nominations and subsequent elections in 2011, when civic, parliamentary and presidential elections will have to take place under the constitution. Mark the following dates in your long term diary: February 12th until the 13th of March during which all elections will be conducted across the country. Visitors planning to come to Uganda over that period of time can be assured from experience that the process is generally peaceful and no tourist visitors have ever come to harm in Uganda as a result of campaigning, so no need to change holiday plans MORE CHANGES AT THE UCAA Former UCAA Director for Air Transport and Regulatory Services, Mr. Kabbs Twijuke, has moved to ICAO in Montreal as Uganda's representative and will be serving at least a three year term it was learned recently. His successor in office is the former Manager Air Transport Mr. Sam Muneeza, who is now heading the new and revised directorate overseeing 'Security, Safety and Economic Regulations. The substantial staffing and organisational changes at the top of the UCAA during the course of the last year have however raised concerns amongst the aviation fraternity as much of the skills base, experience and personal relations have now 'gone into retirement' or else moved on to greener pastures. It was noted by one usually more outspoken member of the fraternity that no licensing hearing has now taken place for over a year, unlike in Kenya where at least four such meetings are held annually, making him raise the question if the new bosses are up to speed and up to scratch yet in their new assignments. Harsh words but understandable sentiments, so watch this space. And in a directly related development here is an excerpt from the latest newsletter of the Kenya Aero Club in Nairobi, courtesy of the venerable Harro Trempenau:   KENYA  CIVIL  AVIATION REGULATIONS CHALLENGED IN COURT The "Dream of Human Flight", so highly touted by the Wright brothers, has turned into a nightmare for Kenyan aviators as hapless KCAA staff are overwhelmed trying to enforce the overly detailed and disorganized KCARS. Formerly routine paperwork is now being subjected to in depth scrutiny and unnecessary red tape as overburdened inspectors and employees are trying to adhere to performance contracts and make no mistakes. As feared by thestakeholders, micro-control mechanisms have been imposed on Kenyan aviation (more to come). JETLINK NOW FLIES TWICE A DAY TO JUBA Following the arrival of two more CRJ aircraft earlier in the year, this privately owned Kenyan airline now started twice daily flights from Nairobi to Juba. It is understood that Jetlink is the only airline flying both early morning and late afternoon, in theory allowing a business traveller to reach Juba, transact business or hold an urgent meeting and get back home to Nairobi on the same day. The 50 seat all economy CRJ is an ideal aircraft for such relatively short flights and permits a quick turnaround on the ground too, as it is self sufficient and does not require much in terms of ground handling and equipment. It was also learned that Jetlink may in fact acquire more of the modern jets in due course, a sure sign that they are satisfied with the operational and financial performance of the Bombardier jets. DELTA POSTS MASSIVE LOSSES, INSISTS NAIROBI FLIGHTS WILL START Delta Airlines just announced a massive near 800 million US Dollars first quarter loss back home in the US in a press release earlier in the week. At the same time announcements were made that every second checked bag on international routes will now attract a 50 US dollar surcharge aimed at making some more money from their passengers, a move which will not go down well however in the Kenyan market where such exploitative fees have not taken root yet. The airline will also ground their entire Boeing 747-200 freighter fleet to consolidate or rather remove their dedicated cargo operation to save money, while later in the year nearly 40 more of their aircraft fleet will be retired to cut cost even further. Some 2.500 staff are also reported to have left the airline in recent weeks under a 'voluntary' retirement scheme. Yet, the office of Delta Airlines in Nairobi continues to make all the right noises that their flights will indeed commence on the 03rd June this year, dismissing rumours that their financial situation may lead to the new route being deferred for some time. Watch this space. PORINI CAMPS GET TWO NOMINATIONS The Good Safari Guide, published annually by the Mirada Travel Group, has put Porini Camps Kenya on their shortlist for two awards this year, a remarkable achievement. Several other Kenyan safari properties have also made their way into the final selection, as have some from Tanzania too. The final decision is due soon and will be reported in this column, always eager to promote top quality on the East African safari circuits. KENYA AIMS TO BECOME MAJOR INTERNATIONAL FILMING LOCATION The annual filming location exhibition in Santa Monica will be attended by Kenya once again in order to attract major location business to the country. The Kenya Film Commission has repeatedly attended the trade show but this year the tourism aspect will be added to the promotional efforts. Kenya has in the past had qualified success in attracting location business but bureaucratic red tape has prevented a real breakthrough, while other African destinations like South Africa were more proactive, eased restrictions and granted generous incentives to film makers. Making a major Hollywood movie is thought to bring at times millions of dollars into the local economy, a juicy proposition in these days of economic hardships. RIFT VALLEY RAILWAYS AGAIN VICTIM OF POLITICAL HOOLIGANS As has happened on several occasions last year, when opponents of President Kibaki uprooted the main railway line from Nairobi to the Eastern part of the country and the border with Uganda, the line last week was again disrupted. The same lot of hooligans are suspected to have carried out the act of sabotage once again and RVR claims to have lost up to 100 million Kenya Shillings in revenues since then, plus incurring the substantial repair cost. Rail traffic from Nairobi to Kisumu and into Uganda as well as from upcountry to the coast has been suspended since then, causing a pile up of trains and containers further down the line to Mombasa and in the Rift Valley. RVR only recently got a reprieve from having their contract cancelled, probably with the government being cognizant of the fact that the rail management company was suffering from unbudgeted repair losses and the economic fall out after election results were declared in January 2008. Watch this space. STAKEHOLDERS COMPLAIN ABOUT LIVESTOCK INVASION A group of tourism stakeholders operating in the Tsavo East National Park area have voiced their concern over a recent invasion of livestock and herders into the park, which they say spoils the expectation of their tourist clients when they see more cattle than wildlife. The Kenya Wildlife Service has acknowledged the problem and deployed extra manpower to the park area to round up and expel the herders and their animals. Meanwhile, the Director of Tourism at the Ministry headoffice in Nairobi, Mrs. Wanjiru Munene, has retired from her position and details of her successor are awaited. Mrs. Munene was reportedly awarded a Presidential recognition, handed over to her by the Minister for Tourism at her farewell party in Nairobi. PROSECUTE THEM &endash; DEMANDS KENYA ANTI CORRUPTION BODY The Kenya Anti Corruption Commission has recommended that the former CEO of the Kenya Tourist Board and the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism both be charged in court over the &endash; reported in this column at the time &endash; loss of multi million Kenya Shillings in a clouded deal with a private sector stakeholder, who was at the time also a member of the KTB board of directors. The 'deal' was made at a time when no board of directors was in office and apparently sanctioned by the Permanent Secretary, but when the new board under well known tourism personality Jake Grieves Cook was appointed it acted swiftly on rumours, investigated the matter and first suspended and then fired the CEO. ECO TOURISM CONFERENCE SET FOR DAR ES SALAAM NEXT WEEK Over a hundred tourism operators, planners and policy advisors are expected in Dar es Salaam next week to participate in a dedicated conference dealing with the promotion of ecofriendly business practices in the tourism industry. Participants are expected from across the wider Eastern and Southern African region as well as from Norway and Holland. On the agenda are also issues like sourcing finance, building sustainable businesses in the tourism industry. The meeting is financed and organized by a Norwegian NGO. ILO BLASTS WORKING CONDITIONS FOR HOSPITALITY STAFF IN TANZANIA An ILO report made public in Tanzania last week is very critical of working conditions of staff employed in the sector, claiming more than 60 percent do not get annual leave and over half of those working in the hospitality industry work more than 50 hours a week. The report also highlights that nearly 20 percent of the workers experience physical violence in their workplace while some 17 percent complain about abuse and harassment. The report was launched by the Regional Director of the ILO for Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and Somalia at the beginning of a workshop in Dar es Salaam last week which was designed to find ways and means to improve working conditions in this and other sectors. The Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism welcomed the findings and stated that government would look into the complaints raised and highlighted in the report with the objective to improve the circumstances under which hospitality staff have to work. It is understood however after seeking some selected comments, that international hotel management companies are generally acknowledged to be ranked in the top 10 percent of employers giving not only benefits to their staff but also offering career prospects in the industry through regular training opportunities both in Tanzania and also abroad.   RWANDAIR SIGNS CODE SHARE WITH BRUSSELS AIRLINES In a development praised by both airlines the Belgian and Rwandese flag carriers last week implemented an extensive code share and cooperation agreement. SN is already flying three times a week between Brussels and Kigali and the Rwandan airline can now sell tickets on Brussels Airlines to Belgium, tapping into their own market potential. Rwanda's airline presently only flies into the nearby region and to Johannesburg, and the code share will for the first time open routes to Europe for them. Later in the year a fourth flight will be added between the two cities, adding yet greater value to the agreement. For Brussels Airlines it is a coup of sorts as during the bidding process for the privatisation of Rwandair the Rwandese suspended the decision at the time when SN was the only remaining party and front runner, and then seemingly negotiated with other parties but without much success. The code share and cooperation agreement however will allow SN greater access to not only the Rwandan market but also allow them to tap into the regional air traffic pool extending into Eastern Congo, a big market once peace has been restored in the volatile area. Adds this correspondent that code share and cooperation agreements with Brussels Airlines have become even more attractive and sought after since SN has joined the Lufthansa family which is about the highest seal of quality approval one can wish for in a partner airline. It was also learned at the same time that Rwandair is apparently in discussion with Bombardier for the acquisition of a CRJ regional jet, an aircraft they already operate under a lease arrangement from Kenya's Jetlink. Should the deal go through it would add an own aircraft to the Rwandair fleet, which presently consists of three leased aircraft. Information also released by the airline indicates that they plan from the summer schedule onwards to fly to Johannesburg via Lusaka, while still eyeing flights to other new destinations.   CHINESE CLASSES LATEST ADDITION AT KIE The Kigali Institute of Education has now offered language courses for Rwandans wishing to learn the Chinese language, a development supported by both Chinese and Rwandan governments. A partnership MoU was signed a while ago between the Panda University and KIE and the Chinese government supported the venture by sponsoring the building of class rooms, offices and a library at KIE. The initial class comprises over 30 students already and keen interest was reported by the institute for more courses.   DUTCH ASSIST IN BAMBOO REFORESTATION The Dutch government has offered financial and technical assistance to re-grow a bamboo forest encroached on by neighbouring communities of the 'Parc de Volcano's' which is home to Rwanda's greatest tourism attraction, the mountain gorillas. The border transcending ecosystem which also extends into Uganda and the Eastern Congo, is said to benefit from the project immensely as it aims to restore important 'buffer zones' around the core area of the national park.   MAYOR SNUBS TOURISM GURUS &endash; ORDERS HOTEL DESTRUCTION In what can only be referred to as institutional madness, the mayor of Gasabo District ordered the demolition of a new hotel, which started on Wednesday with the destruction of the newly constructed Spa and pool area. It appears that all appeals to common sense and good reason by officials from Kigali, including the Rwanda Development Board and ORTPN, fell on deaf ears, as contractors of the district wrecked the efforts of attracting new investments to Rwanda. Allegations were made by sources close to the owners that it was because of a personal feud and grudge between the mayor and the wife of the investor, but a district spokesperson cited lack of permits for the construction as the main reason for the demolition. It is however understood that some permits for the building had been granted, making the mayor's action even more dubious. Meetings at high political level went on at the time of going to press but no immediate results were available, although it is understood that the demolition was eventually halted when 'instructions from above' reached the mayor. Watch this space for the fall out of this lunatic action by what can only be described 'an out of control village chief'.   ABYEI CONFLICT BEFORE THE HAGUE A delegation led by the Southern Sudanese Vice President Dr. Riek Machar is now at The Hague to argue the Southern case over the state of Abyei before the Permanent Court of Arbitration. It was eventually agreed in 2008 after several outbreaks of violence thought to have been initiated by the Northern regime in Khartoum, that the matter was to be handed over the international arbitration and both sides would abide by the outcome. Abyei is an oil rich state and was at the time of signing the CPA (comprehensive peace agreements) in early 2005 immediately claimed by the South, together with two other 'disputed' states where the North had tried to change the demographics during the time of their occupation by 'importing' populations from the North to change the equation. This however was countered by historical maps, records and recollections from the tribes living in those areas, and like Abyei a solution is still pending. Stay tuned to this space for ongoing news from the Southern Sudan.   SUN AIR COMMENCES ABU DHABI FLIGHTS The privately owned Sudanese airline, which operates daily in and out of Juba from Khartoum, has now added Abu Dhabi to their international destinations. Travellers from Juba can connect in Khartoum for their onward flight to the capital city of the United Arab Emirates. Sun Air operates a fleet of Boeing 737's and an Airbus A310-300, which it uses on its domestic, regional and international flights. Initially there will be three flights a week with the option to eventually go daily, to cater for VFR and business traffic between the UAE and the Sudan.   DIPLOMATS BOYCOTT ETHIOPIAN STATE DINNER FOR BASHIR Sudan's regime leader Bashir, in defiance of an ICC warrant, travelled to Ethiopia earlier in the week and was received by the country's leadership, but not as usual and required by diplomatic protocol many of the accredited ambassadors. In a telling manner however the ambassadors of Cuba, Venezuela, North Korea and China were reported in the Addis Ababa media as present. In a further snub it was also reported that the state dinner hosted for Bashir was again boycotted by diplomats from countries in agreement with the ICC warrant, a slap in the face also for Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi for having hosted the alleged war criminal. Bashir in a pre-departure press conference was reported to have scoffed at the warrant, giving a litany of countries he had since visited, all of them however known to be in cahoots with opponents of the ICC's action.   MADAGASCAR WAIVES VISA FEES FOR TOURISTS For those still determined to visit Madagascar after a series of violent political events in recent months, some good news have emerged last week. The previous Visa fee of nearly 80 US Dollars was apparently waived at least until the end of the year for tourists staying not longer than a month. However, these otherwise commendable efforts need to be supplemented with a calming of the political situation in the country, a sustained marketing campaign in producer markets and the creation of a new image of Madagascar to reshape public opinion around the world. Tourism has been a major foreign exchange earner for the island state but income has dropped bottomless in recent weeks as tourists stayed away, warned off by real events and strong anti travel advisories by their own foreign offices.     And in closing once again some more news from Gill Staden in Livingstone / Zambia who is covering that part of the continent:     Sioma/Ngonye Falls   I have had confirmation from a local source that ZAWA has fenced off Sioma Falls and is charging US$5 per person. Apparently the initiative is between ZAWA and two communities &endash; Linanga and Simumbi; the plan being that ZAWA and the two communities benefit financially from this new 'development'. I have also seen a map which outlines the 'Proposed Ngonye Falls National Park'.     But ... Ngonye Falls is a National Heritage Conservation Commission (NHCC) site. According to the Laws of Zambia:   Where any heritage is located on land held by any person, the Commission may negotiate with the holder of the land to- (a) arrange for preservation, restoration, rehabilitation and reconstruction of the heritage; (b) arrange time, terms and conditions for admission of the public to the site; (c) arrange for supervision, maintenance and protection of the site; (d) arrange for a lease of the site, access to it, and the terms and conditions of any right of entry; (e) acquire the land or any part of it on such terms and conditions as the parties may agree upon, or (f) arrange any other matter connected with the conservation, use and enjoyment of the heritage.   The Minister, upon the recommendation of the Commission, may by statutory instrument make regulations- (a) regulating the access of the public to any heritage which is the property of the Commission or which by agreement with the owner is under its control; (b) fixing fees payable to the Commission for admission to any heritage; (c) safe guarding any heritage, national monument, tablet, or relic from disfigurement, alteration, destruction, unauthorised export or removal; (d) regulating the excavation of any ancient heritage and the removal export or collection of any relic; (e) regulating the conditions of use by any person of any area of land which has been declared to be a national monument and which is under the control of the Commission; (f) regulating the conditions for the erection of any building or structure on any area of land declared to be a national monument; or (g) prohibiting or regulating any specified acts in or in respect of any heritage.   I have spoken to some of the staff at NHCC and they know nothing about the fencing off of the land and the new 'Park' fee. And, if you read what the law states above, it is only NHCC who has the right to 'regulate access', to 'regulate conditions of use' and 'fixing fees'.           A Walk in the Park   I went to have a proper look at Mukuni Park during the week so I paid my K1,000 entrance fee at the side gate and walked around. The Park is better than it was but is a far cry from my expectations. Of course, I don't like the curio sellers at the front because the curio sellers were, to my mind, squatters in the first place. However, the 'mall' had become quite popular with visitors, so I suppose the park has become more of a tourist attraction than a place for residents. The good thing about the mall is that it takes away the traffic noise for people who are relaxing in the park.           There are some interesting water features &endash; a fountain, some clay pots and a meandering fish pond. The clay pots are quite nice. Notice one of the new litter bins donated by the LTA.   The fish pond needs a lot of work. The cement work is very rough, but I don't suppose we can do anything about that now. There are fish in the pond but there are no water plants and I doubt that the fish are fed. The pipes used for taking the pumped water around are exposed. The feature is ugly.     On the John Hunt side of the park is a children's playground, with loads of swings, slides and roundabouts for the kids. And next to that are the offices used by the LTA.   Near the front of the park is another building. This houses a few poster-stands on which are pinned some old photos and notes about the history of the park. There was a young man in there who told me that it was National Heritage place. The photos were good and the information interesting but the layout was dull. Please, National Heritage, can you make it a bit more lively? Or maybe the park authorities can make it multi-use and put something else in there too.   It was fairly clear that the company that did the work did not have a landscaper working with them. The planting is a bit sparse and uninteresting. Now, the grass needs cutting. There are weeds and the shrubs need pruning. I wonder if they actually have a gardener working there. And I don't mean someone who knows how to sweep and hold a hosepipe.       The man at the gate told me that about 40 people a day come to the park. He says that it gets quite a bit better at weekends, sometimes reaching 120 people. So, I calculate that the income from the park probably just covers the wages of the man at the gate. However, because it is necessary to pay to get in the park, there are not all sorts of 'undesirables' wandering around which is a pleasure.   The front gate, as I have mentioned is locked. Visitors come in the side entrance. When I asked the gate attendant why he didn't sit at the front gate which was much more attractive he told me that they only opened the main gate on special occasions. He didn't know why.   All in all, the park is much better than it was. The project, if you have forgotten, was funded by the World Bank. It had been decided that a Trust would be formed to take care of the park but I don't think that this has ever happened and that the Council is still in charge. As the income from the park, I would estimate, is a lot less than the cost of its running, it cannot be privately managed. So we, as rate-payers, will continue to subsidise the park, but maybe that's as it should be. I just wish the Council had more of an idea of how to do it; it could be good.       LTA website   I know everyone has been busy over the Easter weekend. Now that things will quieten down a bit, please can I have information and comments on the LTA website. I haven't done any work on it for a week or so because we still need to work out the finances. Serah was supposed to go round and get some more advertising. I hope that has been done. Not only do we need the money to keep the site going but we also need to make the site interesting and 'busy'. If you want to put your advert on the site, get in touch with Serah. It is not too expensive.   I am also a bit concerned about the layout of the site. It gives us the information but I don't think it 'grabs' me. Please, for those of you who have an arty side to your brain, can I have some comments. My brain is completely lacking in the bits that make things 'pretty'.       Nomad Africa   Last year Nomad Africa opened of the second phase of Twabuka Community School.   Nomad African travel has, through funds donated by its clients, sunk a borehole; built a five classroom school, a kitchen and dining area, and toilets; built a chicken house and established an egg production project, teaching small business skills at the same time.   Building work has been carried out by people from the village ensuring maximum investment of funds in the community through wages.   The numbers of children at school have risen from 24 to over 140, all children benefit from a cooked meal (provided through food aid). They also have subsidised school uniforms. Books and classroom equipment have been donated.   One child has had her eyesight restored at Zimba eye hospital and five others have been assessed and will receive treatment later in the year.   All fundraising, building and development work has been initiated and project managed by the two directors of Nomad African Travel and their time and expertise has been donated completely free of charge.   The school classrooms have been painted, decorated and furnished by students from UK. Although we are a small company our commitment to the community has been massive.     OBAMA DECISION ON RESCUE WIDELY APPLAUDED The decisive action by US Navy personnel to rescue a captured captain from pirates was greeted with relief and applause in particular for President Obama, whose credentials in Eastern Africa were strengthened by his courageous and successful decision to allow the mission. Somali pirates have become a menace for ships trying to reach the Eastern African ports of Mombasa and Dar es Salaam, even when navigating sea lanes further out into the ocean, as the pirates are now equally operate hundreds of miles out to sea. The one off rescue, welcome as it was of course, however masks the underlying problem that pirates still hold dozens of hostages from many ships now under their control. What is really required is a well coordinated assault on the safe havens of the pirates to destroy their infrastructure, their so called 'mother ships' and either capture them and bring them to justice or else. Alliance forces are based in Djibouti and the veritable assembly of international warships off the Horn of Africa should now provide the means to commence an offensive against the pirates on the sea and on land. Should that not be done very soon, the menace will otherwise undoubtedly continue to worsen and affect international shipping through the Suez Canal, the Gulf of Aden and along the lower East African shorelines to the detriment of world trade, the affected shipping lines, the crews and their families. And in closing, imagine the scenario of a passenger cruise liner being captured by those terrorist pirates with hundreds of people on board. Will it have to come to a catastrophe first before serious military action is being taken? Watch this space. UK SENDS TWO LIONESSES 'HOME' The Paradise Wildlife Park in the UK has donated two female lionesses to the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre in Entebbe. The relocation is apparently a first in sending African lions back to Africa from the UK, but they will of course never see the African bush for real, having to settle for second best at UWEC for the rest of their lives. The gesture however is greatly appreciated and will add extra attractions for visitors. ENVIRONMENT GETS MORE FUNDS Two pieces of good news emerged just before Easter for the environmental lobby, when first a 200.000 US Dollar grant was announced by the FAO, the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization. The money will be used to seed-fund forestry conservation activities for the next year although more funding will be needed from government to achieve the noble objectives. In a second and related development parliament passed a vote to allow for a 15 million US Dollars fund allocation by the World Bank for the National Environmental Management Authority, or NEMA in short, to facilitate nationwide tree planting and reforestation to improve forest cover and mitigate environmental impacts by human activities. UGANDA COMMEMORATES AMIN OVERTHROW 11th of April 1979 saw the eventual overthrow of Uganda's most notorious dictator Idi Amin Dada take place, when Tanzanian troops and Ugandan exile forces, amongst them none other than President Museveni, took Kampala and forced the remaining troops of Amin out of the capital city. Amin has meanwhile of course passed on but remains strongly identified with Uganda like a lingering cloud, owing to his notoriety for gruesome crimes committed against Uganda's citizens and his support for Palestinian terrorists who held a planeload of passengers hostage at Entebbe International Airport (before a successful rescue mission by Israeli commandos). Amin's regime was then eventually replaced with an almost equally dictatorial second term of the very Milton Obote Amin had overthrown, after the rigged and stolen elections of 1981. It was this event which made current President Museveni take to the bush to start a 5 year liberation war, which ended in defeat for the last of Uganda's dictators and has since allowed for the emergence of a vibrant democracy and brought economic progress and development to the country. Oscar winning film 'The last King of Scotland' was filmed on location in Uganda a few years ago about the cruel and despotic aspects of life under Amin and drew much attention to the 'new Uganda' as an investment and tourism destination. The picture below portrays Oscar winning actor Forest Whitaker in Kampala during the filming with this correspondent's wife, who also acted in the film as an extra.   BRIDGE CONSULTATIONS YIELD RESULTS The consultative exercise over the planned new bridge across the river Nile in Jinja has brought about first results, when the route was changed following submissions by affected businesses at the Njeru side of the river, where the Nile Breweries are located. A planned multi million US dollar expansion of the brewery was under threat when the initial route of the bridge and road works cut right through the land owned by the brewery and set aside for the expansion. A slightly different route is now being proposed to avoid this clash of interests but already other businesses located in the vicinity are now complaining too, that because of their 'lesser' status compared with the brewery their own presentations were ignored. A final decision is expected soon and it is hoped that work can commence in the near future to add this very important alternative road link from Eastern Uganda crossing the Nile. AIR ARABIA WINS AWARD The first ever Gulf based low cost carrier, which flies between Sharjah / UAE and Nairobi on a regular basis, has now announced good news. The airline won the prestigious 'Best Low Cost Airline in the Middle East' when the World Airline Awards 2009 were announced recently. Travellers from Eastern Africa to the Gulf and East African expatriates working in the UAE have taken to the airline over their affordable rates. Sharjah is only a few kilometres away from Dubai itself but offers generally more affordable accommodation and not known to all affordable shopping compared to other parts of the United Arab Emirates. Inspite of the difficult market conditions Air Arabia added over 30 percent in passengers in 2008, a sign that their business concept actually works. 'WILDMAN KENYA' SET FOR 18/19 APRIL The Kenyan equivalent to Hawaii's 'Iron Man' will take place over the weekend of 18th and 19th of April in Watamu on the Indian Ocean coast. The triathlon requires participants, depending on the category they entered, to run up to 20 kilometres, cycle up to 80 kilometres and do an ocean swim of up to 3 kilometres for the top 'ultra' category. The 'Olympic Triathlon' and the 'Corporate Relay' require lesser distances to complete the challenge. Registration costs 4.000 KShs which is equivalent to about 50 US Dollars. Also available are kids events covering very small distances and a 'Community Funathlon'. A contribution of 500 KShs will be made to the Kibera community sport project for each registered participant, spreading the 'goodies' to those in most need. Thanks to Wairimu Kinuthia of 'KenyaBuzz' for the information. KENYA GOVERNMENT PUTS HOTELS UP FOR SALE In a last ditch effort to raise much needed cash for the ballooning government expenditure has the Kenyan Ministry of Finance decided to put their shares in more than a dozen hotels and lodges up for sale. Major blocks of shares estimated to be in between 30 to 40 percent in such prominent hotels like the Hilton, the Intercontinental, the Mombasa Beach will soon be floated and existing co-share holders are expected to have a first right of refusal for the shares, once government officially declares their intent to sell to the respective boards. Several smaller hotels, like the Sunset Hotel in Kisumu &endash; located near the paternal home of US President Barack Obama &endash; and of several safari lodges like Voi and Ngulia in the Tsavo National Park will also come on the market under the proposed sale. Kenya's bloated coalition government has been eating deep into the available financial envelope and selling the 'family silver' now seems one of few options to raise more cash in the face of the current global and financial economic crisis, which has also reached Kenya's shores. Watch this space. KENYAN HOTELWORKERS IGNORE UNION'S STRIKE CALL An ill considered strike call by the Kenya Hotels and Allied Workers Union was defeated by staff turning up for work, after the main rival union declared the strike 'not necessary'. The ill timed attempted strike action just ahead of the Easter weekend could have potentially disrupted the hospitality sector, which in any case is already struggling with the fall out of the global economic and financial crisis, a fact conveniently ignored by the Union bosses. No disruptions were in fact reported from Kenya where citizens, expatriates and visitors alike enjoyed a peaceful long holiday weekend. DELTA CONNECTION LOOSES NAME RIGHTS In a crushing High Court ruling in Nairobi was locally incorporated airline 'Delta Connection' ordered to drop the use of the 'Delta' name in all their stationary, tickets, advertising and related areas of business, stating that it infringed on the rights of 'Delta Airlines' from the United States, which is soon due to commence flights to Nairobi. The local airline, which was established several years ago, has immediately moved to the Court of Appeals for a stay of execution, citing irreparable loss of business and a likely grounding of the airline should the High Court ruling become final. At the time of forming the airline and registering its name this similarity was apparently not of any concern to the Registrar of Companies, but with the onset of Delta flights between the US and Kenya the matter inevitably came to a head. An initial stay of execution of 15 days was granted which could however be extended until the appeal before the court has been heard. As all permits and licenses are presently granted under 'Delta Connection' the airline clearly needs time, if so ordered, to put their house in order under a different name with the regulators and other bodies, a fact Delta Airlines from the US needs to face up to now, as the next step of their legal battle unfolds. TANZANIAN PRESIDENT OPENS NEW BEACH RESORT A new 138 bedroom hotel was opened last weekend by none other then President Kikwete in Bagamoyo, a historic town north of Dar es Salaam. While at the new hotel the president also called for swift surveys on suitable beaches both north and south of Dar es Salaam to open up new areas for tourism developments. The president also acknowledged in his speech the contributions of the tourism sector towards the Tanzanian economy while urging Tanzanian nationals to take advantage of the facilities put up in national parks and along the Indian Ocean beaches. The president on an earlier occasion also assured the nation that his government would do all in its power to avoid a repeat of widespread electricity shortages in the light of recent draught predictions, which would impact once again all hydro electric plants, leaving the shortfall to be catered for by expensive thermal plants. NEW LODGE TO OPEN IN SERENGETI A new 75 bedroom safari lodge is due to open in June this year in the Serengeti National Park. The information was given by Kempinski Hotels in Dar es Salaam, who will manage the new property on behalf of the UAE based owners. The 'Bilila Kempinski Lodge' will likely be the last such development in the Serengeti where environmental concerns are taken seriously over the impact of such 'fixed' places. It is however, according to usually well informed sources, possible to erect tented camps in select places, as they are thought to be less damaging to the fragile ecosystem and can more easily be removed. At the same time controversy is ongoing in the adjoining Kenyan Masai Mara Game Reserve where an abundance of hospitality businesses are operating. Commented a Kenyan safari operator: 'maybe we have overdone it in the Mara, but when I look at those big spaces in the Serengeti I think that they are maybe a little too restrictive about a few more lodges, but then again when one is killing the goose laying the golden eggs with too many beds in a small reserve that makes you think again'. Conservationists however are said to be delighted by Tanapa's decision to halt any further 'brick and mortar' developments in the Serengeti and restrict new lodges to areas immediately outside the national park. Said one of them based in Nairobi to this correspondent: 'I hope Kenya takes a leaf from this decision. The Masai Mara moratorium on new lodges has been ignored and the 'carrying capacity' for lodges and tented camps inside the greater Mara conservation area is literally exhausted. Investors should look at some of the parks and reserves without enough beds and build there instead of overcrowding the main parks', sentiments shared by this column. TANZANIA HALTS HOTEL GRADING Citing a lack of adequate funds the Tanzanian government has stopped all work on the ongoing classification and grading of hotels, lodges and resorts in the country. The long overdue exercise is also one of the agreed coordinated actions of the East African Community, which is due to unfold across the five member states. The objective of course is to give tourists and business visitors a level of certainty that the star rating on a hospitality business' door indeed reflects the reality on the ground and is comparable with similar establishments anywhere in the EAC. After the work started some 100 coastal resorts and business hotels along the Indian Ocean beaches and in Dar es Salaam were inspected but the all important 'Northern Circuit' covering the hotels and lodges from Moshi over Arusha to the national parks of Tarangire, Manyara, Ngorongoro and Serengeti remain untouched. Sad news for the hospitality industry and indeed more sad news for East African cooperation. BURUNDI MEETING MAKES LITTLE PROGRESS FOR EAC A meeting in preparation for the head of state summit of the East African Community at the end of April took place in Bujumbura last week, discussing a compromise on the slow and at times painful march towards economic integration of the EAC. The Common Market Protocol is due to be signed by the heads of state later in the month but substantial differences once more emerged in the positions of Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi versus Tanzania over a range of issues. The four states wish to have their citizens use national identity cards to move freely across the EAC, like in the old days of the 'first' EAC, while Tanzania continues to insist on the use of passports with little compelling arguments offered however. Other contentious issues are the ownership of land by citizens of one memberstate in another memberstate, again an issue raised by Tanzania which is reluctant to permit such a blanket right. The third contentious issues remains 'residency' of EAC citizens in any of the other states without formality, where Tanzania again put her foot down and stood in the way of an agreement. In order to 'rescue' the meeting it was then agreed to exclude these three sticking points from the common communiqué and probably seek a further meeting before the upcoming 'Council of Ministers' meeting and the subsequent summit in Arusha. Uganda has tried to formulate a compromise during an EAC meeting of ministers in Kampala, with little success however so far as a split looms now over the three crucial issues. In fact, the all important tourist industry in Eastern Africa would be one of the losers if no solution could be found as free travel across the region by citizens would undoubtedly encourage more travel by citizens while a single Visa for tourist and business visitors from abroad would attract such target groups to visit more than one country, now an expensive proposition due to the extra fees and hassles involved. Watch this space. SOUTHERN SUDAN GETS TOUGH WITH 'SABOTEURS' The Ugandan and Kenyan business communities have of late raised a series of complaints and concerns with their foreign ministries and diplomatic missions in Juba over being harassed, mistreated and accosted while doing business in Southern Sudan. Both countries hosted large numbers of refugees from Southern Sudan and were the spring board for supplies for the SPLA and her allies during the liberation war, but such hospitality seemed often forgotten going by regular reports in local media. One of the bullies however, a self styled 'Colonel' allegedly integrated into the Southern Sudan Armed Forces from a former militia formation, was recently arrested when a Kenyan investor in a Juba hotel property found his own representative from Nairobi 'missing' after being 'arrested' by the 'colonel's' contacts for being an alleged imposter. The matter swiftly made its way up the ranks however and top officials from government and SPLA swooped down on the fellow, picked him up and put him on remand. Official statements from the government in Juba also reassured Kenya and Uganda of cordial and friendly relations and that the official policy is to welcome investments and business relations between the countries and the South Sudan while condemning individuals trying to muscle into investments under false pretences. THE LUNACY IN CONGO News have emerged from usually reliable UN sources in Goma, that the commanders of MONUC on the ground are complaining bitterly over troop levels, promised to them months ago but never delivered. This information gains new light with ongoing news of the Hutu killer militias in Eastern Congo being as active again as before the joint Rwanda / Congo / MONUC offensive against them, which was terminated by Congo before the full military objective could be achieved by Rwandese forces, who were asked to leave prematurely. This joint exercise already put the 17.000 strong MONUC forces to their hardest test yet and made all but clear that they cannot succeed without either having direct help from Rwanda or else troop numbers boosted to match the guerrillas. The Hutu militias are in fact reported to have issued specific 'hit lists' targeting alleged collaborators with the Rwandan troops at the time and several killings already point towards such assassinations. The picture darkens in the North East of the Congo, where again Congo had asked the joint Ugandan force to also leave the area and return home, while the LRA rebels, their leaders wanted by the ICC for crimes against humanity and war crimes, roam freely at will again. Congolese forces are as usual hesitant to engage the rebels and the UN forces lack the manpower and partly equipment to root out the menace. Border areas inside Congo from Goma towards the Central African Republic should therefore be avoided by visitors and in particular adventurers wishing to track gorillas in the border triangle between Uganda, Rwanda and Congo should opt for safe tracking in Uganda and Rwanda for their own safety. Tracking of gorillas in Rwanda and Uganda is considered safe and security measures are in place along the common frontier with Congo to prevent any infiltration of ill meaning elements. ZIMBABWE DUMPS OWN CURRENCY In a move not entirely unexpected the Zimbabwean government and central bank decided over the Easter Weekend to throw their own worthless currency out of the window, replacing it with foreign currency use for at least a year, but possibly much longer to allow the country a recovery from rock bottom. Record inflation, inspite of several currency 'reforms', which over the years slashed dozens of zeros off the local 'Zimbabwe Dollar', runs at more than 230 million percent, a figure previously not seen anywhere else in the global economy. The economic collapse of Zimbabwe, formerly a flourishing country with an intact agricultural and tourism base, was initiated by regime leader Mugabe's failed land policies, which &endash; instead of fairly distributing land to the landless &endash; saw his cronies grab productive farms and destroy the basis of food production, leave alone generating export crops. The country degenerated into a hunger society, where progressively social services, maintenance of infrastructure and eventually the entire social fabric broke down irreparably as it turned from breadbasket to basket case. A recent widespread cholera outbreak found the national health service unable to cope, leading to thousands of avoidable deaths in the absence of drugs and materials needed in health centres and clinics, while a million US Dollar birthday bash was hosted by sycophants and 'loyalists' for their 'dear Bob'. Mugabe's rigged and stolen elections and subsequent shenanigans over a 'power sharing deal' were only aimed at keeping him and his supporters in power, creating obstacle after obstacle for Morgan Tsvangirai's former opposition party which now however holds a majority in parliament. Trade in goods across Zimbabwe will now be conducted in US Dollars, Euros, Pounds and probably South African Rand, besides accepting currencies of other neighbouring countries. Ordinary people however in villages across the country will find it hard to get hold of foreign money making it arguably even more difficult to access goods and services. The broke country had in past years spent mega millions of hard currency to print, print again and then print some more bank notes, but even a wheelbarrow load would not have paid for a weekend's shopping, already having lost hundreds of percent in value enroute from the bank to the shops. Mugabe's failed policies turned the former liberation hero into an international villain who squandered the wealth of his nation in his pursuit of staying in power. Watch this space. Feature: Propane Power for Africa by Jerry W. Bird "LPG - the fuel for Africa! Can LP Gas help alleviate poverty in Africa? Propane as an alternative fuel". These and similar headlines from articles we located in Google are proof that Propane can be the answer to many of Africa's pressing problems, from saving lives due to indoor pollution, to lower cost of operating automobiles and fleets. While in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia we visited a thriving propane operation , owned by one of our colleagues and his family. It brought back many fond memories of travel around North America spreading the word about LP gas. Africa Travel Magazine's publishers enjoyed a close involvement with the propane industry and are pleased to see the focus on Africa. We plan to develop this exciting story in our World Edition - but first some background on our history with propane . Links Mr. Wonderfu AFRICA TRAVEL MAGAZINE Africa Travel Association partner since 1996 Events hosted by over 30 African Cities since 1976 Offices: New York, NY USA, Vancouver, BC, Canada http://www.africa-ata.org/mag.htm 604 681 0718, fax 604 681 6595 africa@smartt.com

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