Uganda news update – UWA stands firm in struggle over concession rights

KIDEPO LODGE DEAL ‘NOT IN ORDER’

As reported last year, the Uganda Wildlife Authority was given a directive from the Office of the President to hand over the derelict Grand Katarum Lodge inside the Kidepo National Park to a private developer who had found favour with the powers that be inspite of little if any proven experience of managing a remote safari lodge. Controversial tourism minister Hon. Kahinda Otafiire enthusiastically endorsed this directive, without however – what is new one can ask – considering the legal implications of his support for the ‘hand out’. When subsequently UWA advised him of the required procedure under the current Wildlife Act, instead of advising the Office of the President in turn of this, the source of the directive was left ignorant of the required steps of formally advertising such sites, evaluating the bids and then awarding the ‘best bidder’ accordingly, best by a range of criteria including operating experience of such properties elsewhere, and the financial ability to raise the required capital.

The matter again surfaced in the media today, clearly aimed at showing off the ministerial gaffe ahead of the crucial end game to form a new cabient, and explaining to an astonished public how some ministers and ministries apparently are quite content to break existing laws as long as it suits their ultimate purpose.

Grand Katarum is located in the Kidepo National Park, itself nestled in the border triangle of Uganda, Kenya and South Sudan, and was built in the 70’s but only days before being due for official opening, fully equipped and stocked, got looted by soldiers on the run into exile after another regime change back in those bad old days. UWA had on at least two occasions in the past advertised the lodge as a concession, for an investor to come in and restore the scenic site on a rocky hill to its former glory, but none was to be found in the absence of secure road transportation through a territory still notorious for cattle rustling gangs equipped with automatic rifles. Hence, to have a larger lodge like Katarum depend entirely on air transportation, expensive as no scheduled flights extend to Kidepo at this time, was not considered viable until now and while the existing Apoka Safari Lodge of Wild Places Africa does manage to get by, the cost of getting safely to Kidepo and back has in the past been a major constraint for more visitors to see this ‘prime piece of African wilderness’.

Be that as it may though, it is understood that should the ‘directive’ be bullied through, that enough individuals and organizations are readily standing by to file suit against government, demanding that due process must be fully observed and respected, something of a lesson apparently hard to be learned by some.

Watch this space.

Rwanda commemorates 17th anniversary of genocide

NEVER AGAIN

As Rwanda commemorated the 17^th anniversary of the genocide, with swept the country in April and May 1994, the message from Kigali was loud and clear: NEVER AGAIN. President Paul Kagame made it all but clear that his government would do all in their power, and be undeterred by criticism from revisionist forces and genocidaires in waiting, to protect the integrity of the country and prevent by all means available any future attempts to divide the Rwandan society again along tribal lines.

Over 800.000 people, some say up to a million in fact, were killed by militias armed  by the then hardline government and incited by frentic ‘kill them all’ messages from radio and television stations, and the genocide only stopped once the Rwanda Patriotic Front troops captured Kigali and drove the militias out of the country into neighbouring Congo. There, shielded by hundreds of thousands of refugees the killer militias conducted a series of incursions, hit and run attacks before the Rwandan army crossed the border to dislodge the killer gangs from their camps, liberated the ‘refugees’ who were in fact hostages and human shields for the militias and securing the borders to stop more bloodshed.

Dozens of Genocide Memorial Sites have over the past 17 years been commissioned where many of the dead were reburied with full honours and respect, a reminder near all the towns across the land of a thousand hills of what was and what must never be allowed to happen again.

While the main commemoration was held at the national Amahoro Stadium in Kigali, did special events take place across the region in Kampala, Nairobi and Dar es Salaam, bringing the Rwandan communities and their host countries together in mourning those who passed 17 years ago.

In a related development it was also learned that the Rwandan economy, now based on non tribal lines with equal access to opportunities for all, has since the coming to power of the present government in 1994 grown in leaps and bounds, and in particular the spectacular success of the tourism sector bears witness to the fact what can be achieved with peace, security and development for each and every citizen, good enough to bring ever more tourist visitors to the country which has risen like the Phoenix from the ashes of its troubled past.

Aviation news update – Precision Air to double fleet over next 5 years

PRECISION AIR OUTLINES FLEET DEVELOPMENT PLANS

Tanzania’s leading airline, Precision Air, has yesterday outlined their plans for the next 5 years in regard to additional aircraft acquisition. Presently operating a mixed fleet of 10 aircraft including ATR 42, ATR 72 and B737, Precision is set to more than double the number of planes on their register by 2016 as it aims to turn itself into Tanzania’s quasi national airline, ready to compete on domestic, regional, continental and international routes.

Founded in 1987 by local entrepreneur Michael Sirima the airline started humbly as a crop spraying specialist airline before branching out into safari charters, eventually starting scheduled flights to the national parks before in 2003 Kenya Airways acquired a 49 percent stake in the company.

Precision has been set for an IPO on the Dar es Salaam stock exchange, but in line with general governmental vagueness and ‘blowing hot and cold’ over supporting this award winning venture, here too it is dragging its feet, ostensibly over a allegedly ‘fake’ winding up petition which gave the DSE the excuse to delay the IPO, in which both Mr. Sirima and Kenya Airways will substantially reduce their own share holdings in favour of having Tanzanian individual and institutional investors come on board. In fact, Kenya Airways will ‘tune down’ to a 33 percent holding, giving Tanzanian investors an overall holding of 66 percent.

Only last month was it revealed that the new multi million US Dollar hangar built by Precision at the Dar es Salaam ‘Julius Nyerere International Airport’ lacked a taxi way connection to the rest of the airport, an omission for which the Tanzania Airport Authority is solely responsible and for which it has publicly apologized.

Still, lingering sentiments within sections of the Tanzanian government make it difficult for Precision to obtain unqualified and unconditional support by government to become THE national airline of Tanzania, as remnants of the country’s strict command economy days still hope to revive Air Tanzania, a now moribund airline with NO aircraft available to operate any flights, riddled by allegations of shady deals, dictated to by trade unions and for all intent and purpose now at its end.

In a related development, he finance raised by the issue of new shares – as and when the DSE will finally give the green light to go ahead with it – will be dedicated to finance further expansion, acquiring more aircraft and expanding destinations and frequencies. Aircraft orders to be placed soon after the IPO has been concluded are thought to include more state of the art ATR models and B737NG jets to be deployed on more distant continental routes.

Watch this space for the most up to date information on aviation developments from Eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean region.

Uganda news update – The latest edition of The Eye is out

THE INSIDER’S GUIDE TO UGANDA IS OUT AGAIN

The Eye, Uganda’s premier guide for what’s on and what’s up, where to go and how to get there, has just been released by the printers and is now available again at hotels, restaurants, leading shops, embassies and High Commissions and lots of other places around Kampala, Jinja, Entebbe and across the country.

For readers from further away, visit www.theeye.co.ug to get the web version of the latest bimonthly magazine, which finances itself through sold advertising and is therefore entirely free for readers.

The sister edition for Rwanda is published every three months and can be found via www.theeye.co.rw

Uganda news update – 12th May announced as date of presidential swearing in ceremony

SWEARING IN OF PRESIDENT MUSEVENI SET FOR 12^TH MAY

Another public holiday is the making as it was announced that the public swearing in ceremony, due to be held at the Kololo Ceremonial Ground, aka ‘airstrip’ was set for Thursday 12^th of May.

A number of heads of state and heads of government from across Africa have been invited to witness ‘M7’s’ – as he is fondly known amongst his supporters – swearing in for another term in office, and preparations are in full gear to create a grand display including the best marching band and military parades.

Visitors to Kampala over that period of time are therefore reminded that once a public holiday has been formally declared, banks and government offices will remain closed for the day, as will schools and educational institutions, while hotels along the entire Kampala – Entebbe – Mukono sector expect to be quite full due to the number of foreign delegations expected for the occasion. Lodges too can be expected to sell out as the long weekend will undoubtedly attract a lot of Kampaleans, especially expatriates, to have a mini break in one of Uganda’s famous national parks.

Notably have Uganda’s end February elections gone peacefully and the opposition’s threats to call for civil disobedience over the election outcome were found to be empty words, as the people actually knew that the election for president was fairly fought and deservedly won by the incumbent. Hence, unlike in other problem countries on the continent where civil unrest followed disputed elections like in Ivory Coast, Uganda will remain on the path of economic growth and political stability for another 5 years, come 12^th of May.

In a related development it is also expected that a new cabinet line up will be announced either shortly before or shortly after the official swearing in of President Museveni.

Once again, congrats Mzee and to another successful 5 years ahead.

Uganda news update – Kitgum gets war museum

WAR MUSEUM OPENS IN KITGUM

The terrorist conduce of the ‘Lord’s Resistance Army’, aka LRA of one Joseph Kony, wanted by the International Criminal Court in The Hague for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity, is now well documented since a dedicated museum has been opened earlier in the week in Kitgum, Northern Uganda.

The new USAID supported facility will serve as both a reminder of the brutality inflicted by Kony’s henchmen and goons on the local population as well as a peace centre, honouring the dead and showing the current and future generations the impact of conflict and how to resolve disputes without the use of force.

Artifacts, pictures and film documentaries are on display at the new museum, which hopefully will bring more visitors into the Northern region of Uganda, where peace has taken a firm hold now and economic activity has widely resumed, infrastructural projects are being carried out and in particular road construction has made access much easier.

Staff at the museum also appealed to the population to avail them more material to be used for display as the second phase of the project’s construction is going underway.

Rhino conservation news – ‘Run for Rhinos Marathon’ London, Sunday, 17th April

RUN FOR RHINOS

On Sunday, April 17^th the dedicated ‘Rhino Marathon’ will be run in London to raise funds for rhino conservation projects. Another purpose is to create added awareness to the plight of rhinos, which in particular in Southern Africa have been slaughtered at an alarming rate. Last year 333 rhinos were butchered in South Africa alone, with some of them having their horns cut off by chain saws or hacked off with hatches and axes when still alive. This year over 70 rhinos were lost already, outstripping the birth of young calfs by a great multiple.

The sudden jump over the last two years is for all purposes being blamed on Chinese in particular but also other Far Eastern countries citizens, who try to cure impotence and other ailments by powder and concoctions containing rhino horn, and the restarted world economy has driven the greed and hunger for rhino horns and blood ivory to new levels, as in particular the Chinese money elite are seemingly hell bent to acquire what they want at nearly any cost. This has driven poaching across the African safari countries to new levels, the highest since the dark days of the 70’s and 80’s, when the herds of elephant and rhino were without mercy decimated.

The ‘Rhino Marathon’ is therefore important in the annual conservation calendar and over 50 runners have been entered to raise funds for ‘Save the Rhino International’ and other wildlife charities.

Let the focus of the international media on this event also shift to demanding from the Chinese government, and other governments where citizens are implicated in smuggling of Africa’s wildlife products, that they revisit their respective laws and make smuggling of, trade in, processing and possession of blood ivory, rhino horn and bones of Africa’s wild animals punishable by record fines and long prison terms – only then will the market driven poaching be curtailed.

Best of luck to the runners next weekend, many of whom will actually be wearing rhino ‘costumes’, good weather, no pulled hamstrings and loose purse strings from supporters of the cause.

Visit www.savetherhino.org for more information of how YOU can donate or get involved or write to them, also for the regular news updates, on info@savetherhino.org.

Aviation news update – Qatar Airways to go ‘daily’ to Seychelles

QATAR AIRWAYS GOES DAILY TO SEYCHELLES

Information received indicates that after Emirates decided to go double daily from Dubai to Mahe, Qatar Airways too opted to ‘up their game’ and move to daily flights between Doha and Mahe.

Qatar, the self proclaimed 5star airline – travelers do seem to share this sentiment though according to web based review sites for airlines – is like other Gulf based carriers growing in leaps and bounds and is connecting a growing global network via their hub in Doha, where a new ‘super airport’ is also in the final stages of construction.

Offering daily connections to the Seychelles will allow passengers flying with Qatar to connect conveniently in Doha for the onward flight to the Mahe International Airport and the archipelago’s tourism industry showed broad smiles when the news broke of the added capacity coming on line soon.

The Seychelles enjoyed a record breaking year in 2010 and is set to do even better in 2011, and as a number of new top of the range resorts are coming on line – the Raffles only opened a few weeks ago and Kempinski too is building yet another world class resort – these new but also the existing resorts can be confident that there are enough seats to bring more visitors to the Creole islands. However, while the Seychelles does cater for the top end of the market, ‘Affordable Seychelles’ too is a reality as quality guest houses and ‘Bed and Breakfast’ establishment, mostly owned and managed by Seychellois citizens and often located in prime locations, cater for those who travel on a tighter budget and yet wish to visit the Seychelles to make a dream come true. The soon to be 21 flights a day from the Gulf to Mahe, 14 by Emirates and 7 by Qatar Airways, will be a big bonus for the country’s tourism sector and give visitors from around the world more choices of how to get to the archipelago.

GO FLY!