Travel News, African Safari Updates

The Commonwealth inspection team, which toured the hotels in Kampala, recently, said they were satisfied with the progress.  4,000 hotel rooms required for the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in November have been identified. This has not only doubled the number of rooms of international standards in Kampala, it has also changed the city’s skyline and improved on tourism facilities in Uganda.

Matthew Neuhaus the Commonwealth director for political affairs said, a lot of progress has been made since they first came, they have been moving quite fast. Among the new hotels inspected by the team is Kampala Serena Hotel, with 152 rooms including one presidential suite, expected to accommodate the Queen of England, and Imperial Royale, which is still under construction, with 212, two of which are presidential suites. The team also visited Hotel Africana, which built an additional block with 110 rooms, bringing its total number of rooms to 225, and the renovated Sheraton Hotel, which has 222 rooms including four presidential suites.
The team ended its tour at the Speke Resort Munyonyo, which has 143 rooms and is still constructing a presidential village. The palatial Munyonyo is made up of 60 spacious and luxurious rooms, with an eye-dazzling décor. The Government injected sh8b into the project, which is a joint venture with Sudhir’s Meera Investments. For the heads of state who will bring along their spouses, each suite has two spacious bedrooms joined into one, two state-of-the-art bathrooms, specially imported beds that are custom-designed, a fully-stocked bar and a posh central sitting room for the president’s aides. The interior architect, brought in from India to design the presidential suites, Christine Mortier, said the works would be completed by the end of July.  November 2007 is the month and year of jubilation to Uganda as both the government and the local communities will benefit from CHOGM. Ranging from Universities, culture, religion, markets, nature and monument will be toured as one of the Uganda safaris by the delegates. This summit is one of its first kinds to be held in Uganda that has greatly benefited tourism industry through Hotel development. The summit will also increase on Uganda tours and hence revenue to the industry.

The government stands to lose millions of shillings in high premium it is paying to insure the newly commissioned MV kalangala, source familiar with deal commented last year. The government of Uganda is spending millions every month as contribution towards the contractor insurance cover under which MV kalangala is covered.  The Director of transport in the works and transport ministry, Grace Itazi said that the 50m the government pays the contractor every month is a lump sum payment covering other costs not only necessarily insurance cover. The director refused to divulge information about what other costs are. This is done so as tourists can tour these areas since its one of the areas of birding activities in Uganda. When asked why the government had not contacted a local firm to provide an insurance cover to the new Vessel, Itazi said there were in the process. Sources said the government stands to lose a lot of money under the current arrangement with the contractor in case of any accident because the contractors insurance does not cover passengers on board, yet the vessel was specially designed to carry passengers. The modern vessel, which was constructed by Danmen shipyards of Holland, operates between Nakiwogo near Entebbe and Lutoboka.

In 2005, one of the Uganda’s few ships MV Kabalega sunk in Lake Victoria after a few days it was discovered that the vessels insurance cover had expired and hence there was no compensation for the ship. The government had to meet all the costs. MV kalangala is one of means used to reach some of the birds of Uganda. Lake Victorian where this vessel operates with MV kalangala tourists will be able to explore Uganda tours and have the memorable experience of the Uganda’s safaris.

Tourism has played a role in image building in Rwanda. Rwanda has been participating in International Fairs Like WTM in London and ITB in Berlin and New York Adventurers. Rwanda took the fourth position at Berlin fair among 57 African stands in 2005. Although gorilla tourism seems to be the focus, there is a lot to be done as per Rwanda tours. With the structure of Rwanda office of tourism and National parks, a department of community conservation was created to sensitize the communities around the park about importance of national parks both in terms of conservation and tourism.

The Akagera National Park today is one of the popular attractions visited by tourists. The culture and tradition like the traditional wear is more outstanding than even what lies in National parks. Rwandan culture is unique and constitutes a valuable tourists attraction on its own. Its development is definitely an added advantage to Rwanda tours especially the explorers who have been identified as one target segment of the visitors. There is a lot of potential that still exists outside the existing areas ready for tours in Rwanda, that need further improvements like lake activities on lake Kivu, kibuye and Cyangugu. Exploiting the full potential in every province especially the non-traditional sites could complement Akagera National, Park, Parc de Nationale and Nyungwe National Park. This would also stretch to beautiful scenic views like Nasho area, Rusumo waterfalls and many other tourism sites to boost more Rwandan safaris than depending mainly the primate’s safaris in national park.

The Kabaka (king) of Buganda, Ronald Mutebi, is petitioning the Constitutional Court in a bid to block the Government from giving away part of Mabira Forest to the Sugar Corporation of Uganda (SCOUL). The Buganda kingdom cabinet has decided to take this matter to the Constitutional Court to fight for the protection of the environment and all forests in Buganda to save the Kabaka’s subjects and their descendants from the adverse effects resulting from the Mabira give-away, Buganda’s deputy Information Minister, Medard Lubega Sseggona, announced in a statement. He noted that the Kabaka’s offer of alternative land for sugarcane production, near Mabira, had been ignored by the Government. It also regretted that the king’s emissaries to the sugar company had not reached any deal to save the ecologically and climatically critical forest. Kabaka’s decision is hinged on the need to save citizens from the eminent dangers of drought, desertification, poverty and famine the cutting of Mabira would stimulate.  The Buganda kingdom also decided to take a petition to Parliament, sensitize the public on the dangers of deforestation and stage a peaceful demonstration to save the forest, is deeply divided over the issue.
Civil society organizations, led by the Advocates Coalition for Development and Environment, already filed a case with the Constitutional Court last week arguing that the proposed degazettement violates the constitution. Environmental activists, united under the Uganda Forest Working Group to Save Mabira Forest Reserve, handed over a petition against the planned give-away to the speaker, Edward Sekandi On Thursday

Mabira central forest reserve is one of Uganda’s largest surviving natural forests covering an area of 306 square kilometer. The forest is a natural habitat of 312 species of trees including the endangered Cordia, Millenii, Mililia Exclesa, the warbhugia Ugandenesis which has over forty ailments and the vulnerable Prunus Africana which cures prostate Cancer and boosts human immune system. Mabira is also home of 315 species of birds such as the nahan’s francolin, Cassin Hawk Eagle, the forest wood hoope, the purple throated Cuckoo, the Tit Hylia, the red headed blue bill, the Black bellied seed cracker, the shinning blue kingfisher, the white bellied kingfisher and the Blue headed crested monarch. Some of these species can only be found in Mabira forest, the pearl of Africa. Other Unique features to be explored in the forestv reserve include 218 butterfly species, 97 moth species and 23 small mammal species especially primate species of the monkey clan.

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has given a grant of millions to finance institutional support on trade and transport in East Africa. The fund co-financed with World Bank, will support the regional trade and transport facility by fostering trade growth and securing an effective EAC Customs Union this will help promote Tourism Industry in East Africa since non-tariff barriers along the regions main transit and transport corridor to be removed. Under the partnership arrangement between the two institutions the AfDB is financing the regional Integration Aspects of the project while the World Bank will finance the countries specific components said Director for infrastructure. With the resurrection of the East African Community, the harmonization of regional transport policies, plans and programs will help also promote Regional Domestic Tourism. The bank grant will allow the EAC secretariat to develop a regional customs strategy provide harmonized customs procedures and training and deploy an IT interconnection system and common database to link all the national customs systems.

The grant will also assist the EAC in preparing a regional transport strategy and regional road sector development program to guide the regional policies and investments in the road sector for 2008-2018. This program would be a blessing to east African travelers since they will be moving freely within the tourism destinations of Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania.