Uganda hospitality news updates – People on the move

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

The Sheraton Kampala Hotel is wishing good bye to Jawaid Akhtar, who was at the helm of the hotel for the last almost 6 years and is leaving many friends behind in Kampala as he prepares to take up another General Manager’s position within the Sheraton family.

New in town is Chris Pollard, a native South African,  who is taking over the Kampala Sheraton Hotel at a time when ‘new opposition’ is getting a foot in the door, now that the construction of the new Intercontinental Hotel has finally commenced, but from the first meeting it was clear that good things are about to happen at the Kampala Sheraton Hotel too, with big plans apparently back up by big bucks too. Watch this space for announcements as and when they can be made. Meanwhile though, it is a fond fare well to Jawaid and his family and a very warm welcome to Chris Pollard for an equally long and successful tenure in Uganda’s capital city.

Meanwhile it was also confirmed that the General Manager of the Kampala Serena Hotel, Mr. Mugo Maringa will be leaving both Kampala as well as Serena Hotels to take up a new and more senior position with a hotel group in Nairobi. Mugo had only transferred from the Kigali Serena last year to replace Killian Lugwe, who is now at the Nairobi Serena as that hotel gets ready to see a major rebuilding exercise kick off later in the year, which will see the hotel expand with a new wind and an added floor on the existing building.

Watch this space for updates from the hospitality industry in Eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean region – so look no further.

 

Stop Press / Breaking aviation news UPDATE – Hewa Bora B727 crashes on landing in Kisangani

KISANGANI AIR CRASH KILLS SCORES

NEWS UPDATE

At least 53 occupants of the stricken B 727 which crashed short of the runway while on the final approach into Kisangani airport were reported to have died, while sources from Goma, also Eastern Congo, claim that over 40 passengers appear to have survived the crash. The aged B 727 came down short and available details on the weather conditions at the time of the crash were spoke of ‘heavy weather conditions’. This may have been a factor in the crash but as always other circumstances too will need looking into, leaving the accident’s exact causes to be established by the enquiry which will now go underway by the civil aviation authority in Kinshasa. Hewa Bora has in the recent past suffered two other fatal incidents when 3 years ago a DC 9 crashed in Goma on takeoff following an engine failure. This was some time later followed by the crash of a smaller commuter plane killing all 17 on board. Calls have emerged from sections of the aviation fraternity to close the airline down, as would most likely be the case anywhere else in the world, and ban the owners and their managers from engaging in any aviation business again.

The Congo has failed to implement aviation safety measures as demanded by ICAO and as a result all their airlines are banned from flying into the European Union but continue to fly domestic scheduled and charter flights and also fly to neighbouring countries. Condolences are extended to the families and friends of those who perished in the crash. 

Another aircraft crash in the Congo DR has shaken that country, when reports began to emerge less than an hour ago that a plane belonging to EU banned Hewa Bora Airlines crashed while attempting to land. The aged Boeing 727 carried reportedly some 112 passengers and crew. Information at this stage is still sketchy but a number of passengers seem to have survived the crash and were rushed to local clinics and hospitals. The airport has according to added information received from sources in Goma been closed for operations while and accident investigation is expected to go underway involving staff of the totally discredited Congolese civil aviation body – unable to halt the seemingly never ending series of plane crashes in the country – while Boeing staff are also expected to assist in the unfolding investigation. It could not be ascertained at this time which foreign accident investigation organizations will be invited to join their Congolese counterparts in order to add expertise and experience in unearthing the causes of this lastest crash.

Congo has arguably the worst aviation accident rate in the world and all its airlines have been banned from flying into European airspace over safety concerns. Maintenance and crew training were in the past cited as major causes for crashes in Congo.

Watch this space as more information becomes available.

‘Beyond the Victoria Falls’ – a new book by Gill Staden

'Beyond the Victoria Falls'

GILL STADEN’S NEW BOOK ‘BEYOND THE VICTORIA FALLS’ NOW AVAILABLE

(Comes Highly Recommended)

 

 

 

 

 

My friend Gill Staden, well known by my own readers for the regular content featured here from ‘The Livingstone Weekly’, has outdone herself, when she had her first ‘big book’ titled ‘Beyond the Victoria Falls’ published the other day and put on the shelves of book stores in South Africa, before reaching Zambia, Zimbabwe and the other countries mentioned in her lastest work.

Gill, an ardent writer and fellow ‘safariafficionado’ has spent much of her recent years driving around Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana and other parts of Southern Africa, and has truly not just seen it all but been able in her book to show us readers too and create the ‘taste for more’, hopefully attracting more visitors to Zambia, the falls area on both sides of the river and the wider region.

A resident in Livingstone / Zambia for the last 20 years and with an almost equal time previously in Nigeria and Botswana, Gill like few others captures the sights of the magnificent Victoria Falls of the Zambezi River and has plenty of stories to tell her readers, making the effort all worth the while to order the book, available now under ISBN 978-1-77007-856-7 which sells in South Africa at the recommended retail price of Rand 175.

More details are available from the publishers via kimt@randomstruik.co.za or by visiting the website of RHS – Random House Struik at www.randomstruik.co.za

Many sales should make for happy smiles all round, not just at Gill’s but the regular recipients and readers of ‘The Livingstone Weekly’ too, which she produces week in and week out with a passion as I myself know only too well.

Congrats Gill for a piece of art, because that is what it is, a piece of art, passion and love for Africa. 

 

Rwanda conservation news update – Nyungwe road upgrading causes environmentalists concerns

NEW NYUNGWE FOREST ROAD ANGERS ENVIRONMENTALITS

It was learned overnight that a section of new road through the Nyungwe Forest National Park has caused added concerns amongst environmentalists and conservationists, as a result of the contractors’ alleged work practices of cutting trees and shrubs and covering slopes along the route with soil.

The construction, described by officials as an ‘upgrade’ of the road, is due to be completed by September this year and will allow greater access into the forest national park by visitors but also easier crossing of it by area residents, causing yet more concerns over the safety of wildlife attempting to cross and being endangered by vehicle traffic.

The ‘main road’ through the national park, connecting Butare with Cyangugu, is also being worked on by contractors at some sections and is due to be completely repaved in the near future, to bring it up to standards with other roads across Rwanda. The bad state of this road has been cited as one major obstacle to have more tourists visit the forest national park, while other sources connected to the tourism sector have pointed to the need for more accommodation around the park and more regular access by air from Kigali to nearby airfields and airstrips, allowing tourists to fly in and out on a daily basis.

Watch this space for an upcoming feature article on Nyungwe Forest and its unique attractions like 13 species of primates which can be seen by taking extended forest hikes, while other routes offer sights to some waterfalls and the spotting of over 275 species of birds, hundreds of butterfly species and a wide array of trees, plants and forest flowers including orchids. 

Uganda news update – Powercuts persist as opposition leader mocks the public

OPPOSITION MOCKS THE COUNTRY AS DARKNESS CONTINUES

The so called ‘leader’ of the opposition, a misleader more likely by any standards, has yesterday mocked Ugandans suffering from renewed day and night long power-cuts and sweeping rationing of electricity by insisting that members of parliament should not ‘yield to blackmail’ while accusing the government to be in league with the independent power producers to steal money from the public coffers, a ludicrous allegation without any merit and lending credence to suggestions that the opposition’s motives were far from ‘honourable’, a title they claim for themselves.

Observers of the political scene in Uganda attribute this latest of shenanigans and gimmicks by the opposition as a continuation of their ‘walk to work’ scenario, this time in parliament though where they enjoy immunity, and talk of treasonous behaviour are already emerging amongst the hot heads in the government camp, a phrase they would be well advised not to throw into the ring in such a casual fashion.

Nevertheless, the prospect of a prolonged standoff in parliament has now also triggered calls that the NRM’s Chief Whip in parliament needs to rally his ‘troops’ and have funding approved so that the situation for the national economy is not sliding from bad to worse, already shaken by a recent interest rate hike to stem inflation, a traders’ strike and unprecedented high fuel prices coupled with a continuously weak shilling.

Meanwhile were ‘off the cuff’ comments made by President Museveni about the economic situation and the low value of the shilling also greeted with a degree of disbelief if not outright dismay, with observers close to the ruling party trying to explain the comments away by blaming ‘poor briefings’, and it can only be hoped that the advice and knowledge of true economists will be absorbed and acted upon by the State House bureaucracy and fences mended with the business community, before they lose confidence or worse, begin to divest and head to ‘safer’ East African shores.

Watch this space. 

Southern Sudan news update – New constitution passed in the nick of time

NEW CONSTITUTION PASSED ‘JUST IN TIME’

As tomorrow, 09^th of July is coming ever closer in the Southern Sudan, parliament in Juba finally, in a near overnight session, passed the required Constitution, governing the new country for the next four years from the day of Independence, before a new, broadly agreed upon constitution is developed in a consultative fashion. The passing of the new constitution was the final hurdle to be taken before Independence Day, paving the way for the new country to be ‘born’ on Saturday, when the flag of the Republic of Southern Sudan will be raised and then fly all over the new state.

Notably will the constitution allow for dual nationality, aimed at empowering Southern Sudanese forced into exile by the slave regime in Khartoum during the years of the liberation struggle, who will now be able to retain the citizenship of their host country while also showing solidarity and belonging to the new Republic of Southern Sudan. The new constitution will be promulgated by President Gen. Salva Kiir prior to the Independence ceremony which will be held in the heart of the new capital city of Juba.

Watch this space. 

 

Rwanda breaking aviation news – RwandAir’s first of two NG B737-800′s now on production line

RwandAir's first NG B737-800 'in the making'

RWANDAIR’S FIRST NGB737-800 NOW ON PRODUCTION LINE

 

 

 

 

(Picture courtesy of RwandAir)

 

The first of two ordered Boeing 737-800’s, due to join the RwandAir fleet in a couple of weeks, is now on the production line in Seattle, where the hull arrived yesterday from Kansas City.

The aircraft according to the airline’s CEO John Mirenge, is due for delivery on August 25^th and a second aircraft then at a yet to be disclosed date in September. A number of RwandAir staff are at present also undergoing training in maintenance procedures at Boeing while the pilots selected to fly the new ‘birds’ are taking their type conversion courses and are undergoing simulator training to be ready to fly the new aircraft home to ‘The Land of a Thousand Hills’ and deliver it to a proud nation.

RwandAir is the African launch customer for the new ‘Sky Interior’ look which Boeing is now starting to deliver to customers around the world and the airline’s passengers will be the first to experience this new inflight experience on the continent.

The final production stage is expected to last for 11 days after which the aircraft will undergo pre-delivery testing of all systems and conduct a series of test flights before being handed over to RwandAir in August.

Meanwhile, in a related development, has outgoing US Ambassador Stuart Symington during his official fare well visit to President Paul Kagame in Kigali yesterday praised Rwanda’s fast pace of development during the years of serving as the Ambassador of the United States and especially highlighted the ‘astonishing’ development of RwandAir, now flying to various corners of the continent within a very short period of time since government embarked on the airline’s restructuring.

Astonishing indeed and Happy Landings to the new ‘birds’, their crews and passengers.