The decision to award the Chinese company the multibillion deal has been preceded by close to two years of lengthened court battles that saw multiple revocations, sanctions, investigations including a repeat of the technical evaluation processes.

China Gezhouba Group, Salini Constructorri, Sinohydro & CMC Karuma JVC and Vinci Construction Grands, Orascom Industries & Group Five International Consortium are the other companies that participated in the bidding process.

On Friday, the bid was opened at the Ministry of Energy in Kampala. Approximately $1.4 billion (Shs3.4 trillion) was tabled by the Chinese for engineering, procurement and construction of the 600MW dam. Perlite Construction Company Ltd also made it to the final stage.

According to the acting permanent secretary Eng. Paul Mubiru, the project whose cost is estimated at $2.2 billion (Shs5.9 trillion) is behind schedule.

There have been complaints of irregularity and corruption in the tendering processes that have drew the attention of the Inspector General of Government who directed that the whole process be stayed.

According to some sources in the office of the IGG, the process was compromised and the outcome of the re-evaluation biased.

Last Friday, the Inspectorate of Government wrote to the permanent secretary alleging that some officials in the ministry had been compromised by one of the six bidding firms.

Last November, the High Court stayed the process after some of the bidding companies protested that the evaluating team had been compromised.

According to the IGG, mediation by court had not improved the process because the technical evaluation brought back a company accused of misrepresenting information in its bid.

The IGG’s notice, which the ministry disregarded, is the second halt order—the first having been issued by the High Court months back. The court process was disposed of and the ministry went ahead to evaluate the financial bids before announcing the winner on Friday.

The government hopes the dam’s 600MW will provide security for the country’s growing energy demands although it has been delayed by what many are blaming on politicking. Energy analysts have also given a damning prediction concerning the completion of the project, they say the project will take 10 years to compete.

The project when completed will help Uganda to improve its infrastructure and standard of living. Some of upcountry lodges like Chobe Lodge is not connected to the national grid. They use generators throughout this increases their costs hence rooms rates being expensive. No wonder that vistors have been saying  that Uganda tours is expensive compared to neighouring kenya and Tanzania and one of the reaon is power element.Uganda safaris will increase as infrastracture improves and they become cheap.

Great news for the Uganda tourism sector as one of our own national park which is Kidepo Valley managed by Uganda Wildlife Authority, has been named by the prestigious CNN Travel website as the third best national park in Africa because of its stunning landscapes and animal herds. This scenic park is situated in the far north eastern part of Uganda safaris at the border of Sudan and Kenya; perhaps it is the country’s most stunning and untouched national parks blessed with very many unique sceneries and exceptional wildlife like the huge buffalo herds.

Kidepo National Park with its sprawling savannah plains and soaring mountains in the background makes it Uganda’s most beautiful park that is according to the CNN Travel website with more than 800 contributors. Because of Its remote park with low numbers of visitors, it becomes the perfect destination for an African wilderness safari. Kidepo Valley National Park is in the 3^rd position after Maasai Mara of Kenya famous which has the greatest number of cats’ family animals and great migration as well as the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. Botswana is the best with its wild limitless desert wilderness and tough Kalahari lions.

There were other African parks that were mentioned as good like the Ngorongoro Crater of Tanzania in fourth position, Etosha National Park of Namibia(5th),Parks along the Gambia River(6th), the Ahaggar National Park of Algeria(7th),the Kruger National Park of South Africa(8th),the Okavango Delta of Botswana(9th) and then the Perinet Reserve of Madagascar in the 10th position.

Planning a trip to Kidepo, you can expect to see exceptional wildlife like the cheetah which you can hardily find and high level of exclusivity that can rarely be found anywhere else within the region. You can board a chartered flight to Kidepo from Kajjansi but you can also get there by road passing either via Gulu or Moroto however the roads are preferred during the dry seasons as they become very impassable in the rainy season.

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Years of sporadic violence in eastern Congo intensified in August 2008, when fighting heated up between the army and fighters loyal to Nkunda. More than 250,000 people have been driven from their homes in the violence and some 17,000 U.N. peacekeepers have not been able to quell the chaos.

Nkunda the leader  of  an ethnic Tutsi, says his rebels are fighting to protect Congo’s minority Tutsis from the Hutu militia that fled here after helping perpetrate the 1994 genocide that killed more than half a million Tutsis in Rwanda. But his critics contend he is more interested in power and Congo’s mineral wealth.

Some fear the current crisis could once again draw in neighboring countries. Congo’s devastating 1998-2002 war split the vast nation into rival fiefdoms and involved half a dozen African armies.

This fighting is taking place inside the Virunga national park where mountain gorillas find there home for years.

Gorillas, chimpanzees gorangutans and humans all belong to the order of primates. Human share 98.4% of their genetic material with gorillas and 98.8% with chimpanzees .Gorillas the largest of the great apes are divided into three subspecies that include the western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) and the eastern lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla graueri). The eastern and western lowland gorillas were identified for science in 1847 and 1877 respectively.

The third subspecies –the mountain gorilla (Gorilla gorilla beringei),was identified for scientific purpose in the year 1903 and has gone on to become Uganda’s star attraction.

Mountain gorillas are physically distinct from lowland gorillas. They are larger have more hair a short truck a broad chest and shoulders and also have a longer and slightly different nose shape.

Mountains gorillas are born small covered with black hair and usually weigh about 2.3 kilogrammes. Gorillas develop about as twice as human babies with the mature female mother also undergoing a gestation period of nine months. They are unique species, as a gorilla with an infant may not have another baby for up to four years. Good family

Planning.

Male and Female gorillas between the age of three ands six years are classed as juvenile. They increase in size and weight at similar rates for the first six years. On reaching six years most mountain gorillas weigh about 68 kg and are usually about four feet tall.

The female mountain gorillas stop growing taller at around six years where as the males continue growing both in size and weight till they reach the age of ten to eleven.

Between the ages of six and ten the males have a black hair colour and are thus referred to as the black backs. On reaching maturity, which is usually between 10 and 12 years they develop silverly, grey hairs on their backs there by being referred to as silver backs.

The silver backs usually leave their parental group at the age of 11 and then moves alone or in the company of other males for a few years before managing to attract females from other groups to him hence forming his own family. Silver back is a dominant male in a group of about 12 or more gorillas that usually include female juveniles and other infants. Will find them chewing leaves laughing and farting not only continuously but with a lot of contentment. They are diurnal and nomadic sleeping each night in a fresh nest built from leaves and branches. Mountain gorillas are primary vegetarian with menu comprising bamboo nettle and gallium being some of their favorites.

They occasionally also eat safari ants which are scooped in huge handful to stuff into the mouths until the safari ant bites over power them. Gorillas spend most of their time traveling and foraging in search of food since plants and trees change with seasons.

Gorillas communicate through vocalizations. Twenty-five district vocalizations have so far been recognized with each one having its own particular meaning As an element of their socialization they communicate through howls grunts barks and hoots screams and are hoots scream and roars signal alarm or warning and are often produced by silverbacks.

They also communicate by beating on their chests or on the ground. This is done to show stature prevent a fight or even scarce off opponents. However even the infant beat their chests as a kind of displacement activity during play perhaps just to copy their elders.

Mountain gorilla life is peaceful and quite .It is from this that they have come to be called Africa gentle giants. These gentle giants are found in the areas of park des Vulcan’s in Rwanda and Virunga National park in the Democratic Republic of Congo while in UgandaMgahinga Gorilla National park and Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National park. they are confined to

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National park was gazetted in 1992 is situated in southwestern Uganda on the edge of the western rift valley Albertine rift and is shared by Kanungu, Kabale and Kisoro districts. It is 331 square km in size on an altitude range of 1,160metre Ishasha gorge to 2,607metres Rwamanyonyi peak.

In 1993 I was among the people who arranged the first clients to track gorillas. Working with one of the old tour companies before setting up Travel Hemispheres , arranged among the first clients to track gorillas in Bwindi national park. It was quite big fun and achievement at that time and ever since lots of clients have passed through my hands to track gorillas in Uganda , Bwindi and Congo. Thus the experience is enormous and can speak for its self. We at Travel Hemispheres have calculated experience and all our clients handled speak out towards this experience.

The total number of mountain gorillas in Bwindi is approximately 340 which is almost over half of the total estimated 720 left in the whole world. Gorilla tourism provides over 50% of tourism revenue for Uganda thus being a strong reason for its protection.

Currently the rebel insurgency in the Democratic Republic of Congo characterized by the massive movement of people in the region could be a danger to conservation of this precious resource.

Rangers have been murdered in Congo camps and equipment for the park authorities have been robbed and destroyed. At this time the safety of these gentle giants –moreover our closest cousins life is at stake . Our appeal is to international bodies that may have solution to offer can do it at the earliest before we see them wiped out.

By Fred Bukenya .

Barack Obama became the first black US president yesterday, making history before a sea of people and declaring the United States in the midst of a crisis that can be defeated with a united sense of purpose. “Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real,” Obama said in his inaugural speech shortly after taking the oath of office. “They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America — they will be met.”

Hundreds of thousands of people erupted in roars of approval on the broad National Mall grounds as they watched Obama stand with one hand raised, one hand on a Bible used to swear in Abraham Lincoln in 1861, and repeat the brief oath to become the 44th US president and succeed George W. Bush.

The inauguration of Obama, 47, the son of a black Kenyan father and a white mother from Kansas, was steeped in symbolic meaning for African-Americans, who for generations suffered slavery and then racial segregation that made them second-class citizens.

Beaming broadly, the new president had kisses for his wife, Michelle, and his school-age daughters, Malia and Sasha, then he turned to the crowds stretching away into the distance on a cold, wintry day.
“Obama, Obama,” the crowd cheered in Kogelo in his  father ancestral home in Kenya celebrations were done overnight. At the neighbor in Uganda celebrations were done all night to extent that people did not go back to work.

By Fred B.

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Uganda once again reaffirmed itself as East Africa’s number one tourist destination at this year’s World Travel Market (WTM) exhibition held at Excel London from November 10-13, 2008.

From a survey conducted from the thousands of guests who visited the Ugandan stand, it was noted that Uganda was once again the most sought after safari destination in East Africa albeit the continuous under-funding to Tourism Uganda.

Uganda’s success has come a long way. Efforts to make this year’s show a success started in Kampala where the Uganda Tourist Board, on realizing its constraints, decided to sign a memorandum of understanding with the Association of Uganda Tour Operators (AUTO), Civil Aviation Authority, and Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) to market Uganda.

This was followed by a pre WTM event cocktail at Metro pole Hotel – Kampala on September 28, 2008 where AUTO presented a check of US$10,000 to the WTM 2008 organizing committee. Another cocktail meant for suppliers was held at Eclipse Restaurant in London. For the first time, Uganda had a storied stand and all participants from Uganda showed unity in purpose.

The several wholesalers who visited the Ugandan stand noted that over the past few years Uganda had become a “stand alone” destination. In the past, many international and regional tour operators offered Uganda as “an add on” extension to Kenya and Tanzania. However, now there is such a great demand by consumers to spend their entire time in Uganda as it is emerging as a long-haul destination especially for specialty tours. As tourists at all price levels become more sophisticated in the global market, value in addition to price becomes a critical element in the decision to visit one destination rather than another.

Also to note is the fact that international tourism and its markets are facing unprecedented change as a result of rapidly-evolving technologies, the credit crunch, and exchange rates that are now leading holiday makers to shun expensive foreign holidays.

Research from insurance specialist Tower Gate Bakers reveals, 65 percent of Britons will be switching to cheaper holidays over the next 12 months so as to beat the crunch. The credit crunch is an indicator that the development of tourism will continue to be driven by the attitudes of consumers in the source markets.

With the economic situation worsening, 2009 actually represents a golden opportunity for Uganda to strengthen the Uganda Tourist Board through implementation of the Tourism Act that was passed earlier this year.

Considering that Uganda is competing on the world market with the sole aim of penetrating it, it is necessary for emphasis to be put on quality products at competitive prices but most of all to offer the unique products with a Ugandan approach. Uganda Uganda and rank number one in Africa for hospitality. Uganda tours are rich with wildlife , primates, white water rafting mountaineering etc a lot attractions that one can choose from. on the hem offers gorilla safaris in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park. has got exceedingly welcoming people

Government’s full support is also needed to further promote Uganda’s unique features at the upcoming exhibitions in Germany, Spain, Russia, Japan, and South Africa and also to explore the United States of America. This will enable Uganda to claim its rightful position as the most rewarding destination in East Africa.

The critical factor for Uganda’s success at this year’s show is accountability as everything else flows from that. The Uganda Tourist Board (Tourism Uganda) is yet to call members for a post-WTM meeting where a full report on accountability and future marketing plans will be unveiled.

Fred Rwija

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Uganda Wildlife Authority has released information about the birth of twin gorilla babies a few weeks ago at Bwindi Gorilla National Park. The newborns are part of the Nkuringo gorilla group, whose dominant male had passed away earlier in the year before a new ‘silverback’ emerged as undisputed leader. The group is reportedly being monitored by veterinary staff of UWA to ensure the well-being of the gorilla babies and to assist them as much as possible to see them through maturity in a few year’s time.

This a rare situation and the authorities are doing all their best to make sure that these twins will celebrate many birth celebrations. 2 years ago it happened in Rwanda and it was more publicized. Uganda tour industry heavily depends on gorilla tracking . Gorillas safaris are the back borne of Uganda tourism industry and when such twins are borne it assures the world of more Uganda safari to increase.

Last week was the bad day for the Marabou storks that had hatched their young ones on trees along Jinja road. The City council had been directed to cut trees along the electricity lines, which were home to several Marabou storks. The older Marabou storks including the parents of the young ones patched in the nearby trees while the chicks were helplessly lying under sunshine with no sign for survival. Kampala City Council (KCC) senior Electricity Engineer said, they never intended to hurt the birds but they were told to clear trees near the electric line for safety.  Kampala is one of the areas contributing to almost a half of birding safaris in Uganda. Other places where birding can be carried out include Mabira forest, Ssesse Island, Kibale Forest National park and other National Parks, which are habitats for birds.