Seychelles breaking news – New 16MW power plant commissioned

NEW POWER PLANT GOES ON LINE TODAY

The close ties between the Seychelles and the Kingdom of Abu Dhabi / United Arab Emirates has once again born dividends when a new thermal power-plant was commissioned today in the presence of the kingdom’s Minister for Energy, members of his delegation and senior ministers from the government of the Seychelles, led by Vice President Danny Faure.

The 16 MW dual generating facility will allow the Seychelles to cater for the growing demand for power and while government has committed to make greater use of renewable energy sources like solar and wind energy in the future, for now thermal generation is a key to keep the country lit at night and businesses running during the day.

Only two weeks ago was it reported here that Abu Dhabi’s ruler had responded to the emergency request by President Michel for the provision of desalination equipment which will double the output to 5 million gallons of water, compared to the present output of only 2.5 million gallons, when installed. The Seychelles has been suffering from failing rains, as many African and Indian Ocean countries in recent years, and adding desalination capacity is the only way at present to supply enough of the precious liquid to households, businesses and in particular hotels and resorts, where tourists expect water to run when they open the taps.

The Kingdom of Abu Dhabi and the Seychelles maintain very friendly ties and the ruler of Abu Dhabi has in fact constructed a major holiday residence for himself and his family on the main island of Mahe, where it sits on the site of the former US operated ‘listening outpost’ which however was vacated some time ago and then offered by the Seychelles government to Abu Dhabi.

The United Arab Emirates have also supported the Seychelles’ fight against ocean terrorism by providing 5 ocean going coast guard vessels and constructing not only a new navy base but also installing a surveillance and monitoring system for the Seychelles which covers all the occupied and even most of the unoccupied islands of the archipelago.

Good news all round for tourists who are streaming in ever greater numbers to the islands, now that there is enough water, electricity and the almost everlasting sunshine basking the powdery white sandy beaches the Seychelles are known for all over the world.

The Seychelles, truly ‘Another World’.

 

 

Tanzania aviation news update – New Songwe aerodrome to be ready by December

SONGWE AERODROME ‘TO BE READY BY DECEMBER’

The long overdue upgrading and expansion of the Songwe aerodrome ‘is progressing well now’ according to a statement issued by the deputy transport minister in the Tanzanian parliament yesterday. The minister was responding to impatient area MP’s questions about the ongoing delay of finishing the construction of terminal buildings, apron and runway. The project has suffered serious delays in the past and the latest was reported to have been caused by a dispute between consulting engineers and contractors, but appears to have been resolved now, yet still causing a further 6 months delay.

The new aviation facility is now due for opening before the end of 2011 and several airlines are said to be considering to start scheduled flights between Dar es Salaam and Songwe to promote greater internal use of air services and make travel by locals between the two destinations faster and more affordable, compared to having to charter an aircraft.

Watch this space nearer to the time for additional announcements and confirmation of the opening date, which will mark a milestone in internal connectivity for area residents.

 

 

 

Tanzania tourism update – ‘Smart Partnership 2013′ set for Tanzania

NEXT ‘SMART PARTNERSHIP DIALOGUE’ IN 2013 SET FOR TANZANIA

The ‘Langkawi International Dialogue’ now better known as the ‘Smart Partnership Dialogue’ is set to return to Africa after Tanzania was given the nod of approval during this year’s session. The ‘LID’ is the brainchild of former Malaysian Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir Mohammed when promoting greater ‘South – South’ cooperation between members of the Commonwealth, and while initially held at the Malaysian resort area of Langkawi soon spread to other member countries and was twice already held in Kampala over the past decade at the lakeside resort of Munyonyo.

The selection of Tanzania is also a recognition of the improved capacity to host larger global meetings as the ‘Smart Partnership Dialogue’ is expected to bring hundreds of overseas visitors from around the Commonwealth to Tanzania and hundreds more from the wider region, where Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Zambia and others belong to the Commonwealth and will find it easy to travel to Tanzania for the event.

No dates have been announced as yet, nor has the location been published but expect to read about it right here as and when details are available.

 

 

Madagascar aviation news update – New direct flights from Nosy Bay to Jo’Burg

AIR MADAGASCAR TO OFFER NEW NOSY BAY SERVICE TO JNB

While Air Madagascar remains on the EU black list and is unable to fly to Europe at present, the airline is nevertheless spreading its wings further into Africa. It was just announced that they will with immediate effect offer a direct service between Nosy Bay and Johannesburg, operating once a week on Saturdays between the coastal city and holiday resort of Madagascar and the commercial capital of South Africa.

Tourism to Madagascar can do with a ‘shot in the arm’ as arrivals have plunged due to the unresolved political situation on the island and the ‘banishment’ by the African Union, which however does not include a travel ban but largely the exclusion from African Union meetings and interaction.

Watch this space for the most uptodate reporting on East African and Indian Ocean aviation developments. 

 

 

Uganda conservation news update – When will it be ‘Lutembe Bay, going … going … going … gone’

WILL IT SOON BE ‘GOOD BYE RAMSAR SITE’

The Lutembe Bay, located en route between Kampala and Entebbe along the Lake Victoria shores, has reportedly come under renewed assault by land grabbers and as often the case, NEMA, our environmental watchdog, appears asleep instead of not just raising the alarm but decisively acting to protect the already much smaller site as it is compared to its initial expanse when the Ramsar Site was launched.

As was predicted at the time by many concerned conservationists, then brusquely brushed aside for being ‘alarmist, against progress and development and generally a nuisance’, the establishment of a flower farm near the Lutembe Bay has triggered a range of other developments, like a magnet would draw in pins and while the farm itself is not to blame for that ‘follow me’ effect, the establishment of it so near a crucially important wetland and bird sanctuary was clearly not in the best interest of Lutembe, not then and not now.

The Lutembe Bay is a key resting point for migratory birds coming from Europe to escape the winter and then again as the birds return from their ‘second home’ further down South, but according to data available via Nature Uganda and leading birding specialists the number of birds now visiting Lutembe have dropped very significantly as the available habitat shrunk ever more.

Media reports now alleged that real estate developers have cleared vegetation including trees all the way to the water, which if true would be a crime – felling trees without a permit is a criminal offense – but although recently a new Executive Director was installed at NEMA, bringing the sleepy tenure of Dr. Aramanya Mugisha to a timely end, no visible reaction is known to this correspondent as of the time of filing this report, giving indication that it will be ‘business as usual’ for both developers and the savaged nature reserve.

There is now growing speculation that the forthcoming oil wealth of Uganda, once tapped into fully, will spur a rapid growth of demand for lake side residences and gated communities for the stream of expatriates expected to come to Uganda to work in the oil industry, and while this will be good for economic development of our country it will in the case of Lutembe Bay and a few other areas worth protecting be a death knell. It is a question of time therefore, should government not swiftly intervene and translate policy statements into concrete action, before the coveted Ramsar status will be coming under scrutiny, to the point of being possibly even revoked, should Uganda fail to uphold her side of the bargain to protect, preserve and defend wetlands.

And considering a recent article by this correspondent in The Eye Rwanda, available via this web link at http://www.theeye.co.rw/conservation.php which drew quite some feeble denials from here in Uganda, a bit more from Kenya and the most from Tanzania – the main culprit of perpetrating environmental crimes at present, it only goes to show that the tenor of this article is entirely correct. Whereas Rwanda goes the extra mile to protect, preserve and defend her environment – by 2020 they intend to have 30 percent of ‘The Land of a Thousand Hills’ under forest again – other do indeed falter, and some in a big way for that matter.

Time will tell how this story will play out, so keep watching this space.

 

 

Uganda conservation news update – Gorilla killers arrested

GORILLA KILLERS ARRESTED, ARRAIGNED IN COURT

Information has been received of the killing of a male ‘black back’ gorilla in Bwindi National Park last Friday with added news that the poachers were caught red handed by park wardens, rangers and trackers, who follow the prized gorillas around the clock.

The culprits had with them snares, spears and arrows and a forest antelope was also found dead nearby, having been trapped earlier on.

The three, investigations are ongoing if more people were involved and may have either gotten away or else been sponsoring the poachers to hunt for trophies, have been charged under various sections of the criminal code and can, when convicted, expect to serve long sentences in prison.

Uganda Wildlife Authority expressed their regret over this admittedly rare incident, pointing out that poaching in the two gorilla national parks of Bwindi and Mgahinga had greatly reduced as a result of much better community relations and the sharing of gate and revenue receipts with them, which has in recent years improved the livelihood of communities neighbouring the parks tremendously. The conservation fraternity mourns the loss of ‘Mizano” who at the time of his death was 11 years old and only 3 years away from turning in to a ‘silverback’ himself.

Meanwhile have members of the conservation fraternity demanded that maximum sentences be applied and in fact the law be strengthened to afflict greater punishment for any form of commercial poaching in Uganda, as worrying reports over the increasing trade in ‘bush meat’ keep surfacing in the local media, indicating that there are commercial gangs at work, well financed and well organized with a supply chain from the poachers to the tables of mostly city based consumers.

Watch this space.