There so many people that were so surprised and left speechless while others still refuse to accept as true and others kept wondering with their faces against the Capital FM office windows staring at Mount Kilimanjaro which is the highest mountain in Africa. During the early hours of Thursday after it had rained and all the clouds floating above Nairobi in Kenya had disappeared parted, the warm golden sun shone down on the global Heritage Site which is Mt. Kilimanjaro, capped in snow, and was very visible from many kilometers away – as far as the Central Business District (CBD) in Nairobi which was so amazing.
This was seen very early between 7:25am to 7:30am on Thursday and it was only those that were in their offices at that time that had the chance to see the magnificence that was created from Mount Kilimanjaro. Paul who is an employee at Capital FM said that he dreaming but he had had such a experience from that same office 2 years ago.
At the moment, trekking up Mount Kilimanjaro does not necessitate any technical mountaineering skill but going for about 5-9 days and with the highest failure rate in regards to summoning a mountain in Africa, it is also true that there are so many people who only dream of seeing Mount Kilimanjaro and the only opportunity they get is seeing it in the magazines. So to the Kenyans, when you ever wake up and find a clear sky in the southeast direction, try to look critically you might be lucky and see the 5,895m high mountain in Tanzania.
Uganda safari news
The Kenya tourism board was encouraged to work hard towards expanding its market in Japan especially since Japan has got very little information about the Kenya tourism attractions and all the packages something that is keeping the country’s tourism growth behind.
During the recent trip that the Kenya’s current tourism minister Dan Mwazo took to Japan and he met with the travel agents and goodwill ambassadors, he mentioned about the fact that there is poor flow of information about the various tourism products that Kenya can offer to the tourists once they come to Kenya.
However in response to this query, Mwazo said that more marketing emphasis has been put on the wild life and creation of beaches after which they will proceed to create large markets outside countries however, there are also other attractions that would attract so many other tourists from all over the world that will also be put on market like cultural tourism, sports tourism, conferences just to mention but a few.
Among the other problems that were identifies during their discussion includes the poor roads in the touristic places which makes it very difficult for the tourists to travel to those places and hence reducing the amount of money that the country would have collected in a year. Places like the Masai mara game reserve demands that the clients pay a high amount park fee which also scares away the tourists.
Uganda safari news
Kenya’s Prime Minister Raila Odinga has been asked to help in the improvement of water supply at and ensure batter roads to the Coast. The request was made by a group of Tourism stakeholders yesterday at the Coast after along time of having to bear with the poor infrastructure in the town which discourages tourists from visiting the place and thus affect the products of the industry at the end of the year because with these poor roads and shortage of water, Kenya is like to lose most of its tourists to its surrounding countries like Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda as well if the problem is not solved immediately.
Meanwhile Dan Mwazo the Tourism minister has appealed tour operators to be more creative so that they can attract as many tourists to Kenya as possible because the sector has the potential to attract more than 10 million tourists of course with proper management. Mohammed Hersi, the Mombasa and Coast Tourist Association chairman mentioned that Mombasa needs instant assistance especially since it is the entrance and the exit to East Africa therefore so many people use the port, it should have good if not the best infrastructure. He added that the Airport Road from the Moi International Airport to Changamwe also needs to be repaired immediately.
The tourism players also said that the heavy congestion at the Likoni crossing channel leads to the delay of tourists to and from the airport and they asked Raila who will be visiting the areas to line up like the any other person so that he can understand how tiresome it can get. Water shortages in Malindi, Kilifi and parts of Mombasa is a serious threat to the industry and in some places water is only available once in a week a situation that a tourist can definitely can not standard. However, Raila said the tourism industry can only get more money if vices like corruption, bureaucracy, security and investment issues are sorted out first but asked the Kenya Urban Roads Authority to quickly work on some of the major roads including the Airport road.
He said the local authorities should also help in repairing some of the bad roads more so those that are within the center of the city rather than sleeping on the job. Despite all the excuses he made, he promised to solve the problems as soon as possible and he ordered the Ministry of water to provided frequent flow of water to citizens in all parts of the country and that water shortage should not be any one’s problem to complain about . There are several factors that attract tourists to a country which is why every one has got to do what he/ she ought to do to protect the tourism industry, a tourism assistant minister Cecile Mbarire mentioned that politicians have got to make sure there is peace in the country. She then assured all tourists who would like to visit Kenya’s tourist attractions that Kenya is as peaceful and safe as before and will stay peaceful even after the general election.
Uganda safari news
Current reports from Kenya reveal that there was an incident of exchanging gun shoots between poachers and KWS security personnel from the Kora National Park which is situated in the Northern Kenya. According to the reporters, one of the hunters was killed during the exchange of gunshots and others were arrested with AK 47 assault rifles and other ammunition. There are also 4 others who were arrested in Isiola because they were found with guns and others ammunition as while as two tusks near Rumuruti / Laikipia while the other another two suspects were found with hunting guns, eland meat and ivory.
In the past few weeks, KWS has worked on its anti poaching task force and they have been able to arrest and taken to court so many suspects while others have been killed in the straggle between the two sides. According to the source from Kenya Nairobi, KWS has officially announced poaching a high cost / low benefit activity and it’s was clearly written in the papers that any one caught or dares to fight back once caught will have to pay with his own dear life yet in actual sense, there is no amount of money or ivory is worth dying for. There must be better measures employed and much more support from all the responsible bodies now especially after KWS lost some of its people while on their jobs.
Dr. Julius Kipngtich KWS CEO also said that all poachers should learn from the latest incident that KWS is now more than ready to get rid of all of them from all national parks so that they can protect and conserve the wildlife there. KWS is also looking out for the traders and those funding the poaching vice and once they are caught, they will serve the longest terms in prison than they can ever imagine. Wish KWS luck in this fight against poaching in Kenya.
Uganda safari news
The Kenyan government has encouraged all Kenyans to learn to appreciate wildlife conservation as it is the only way that Kenya will pass through to improve on it tourism products. David Mwiraria, chairperson Kenya Wildlife Services board mentioned that the problem of poaching has become a very huge threat to the industry specially because the poachers stay within the surrounding communities but the authorities have never been able to get any given the fact that they do not get any assistance from the rest of the community members.
There are so many animals more so the elephants and rhinos that have been killed by the poachers in their search for money to cater for their families. This is the reason why there is need to have all citizens of the country value wildlife conservation so that they can help the responsible people to capture the poachers and thus be able to stop the vice from increasing and spreading to other places that have not yet been affected. Mwirari said all this at the ceremony where 326 community rangers at the KWS law enforcement academy in Tsavo west national park excelled in their training.
He also added that poaching has also become so rampant because of the changes in the climate which is forcing these animals to move out of the protected areas to find what to eat some thing that exposes them to poachers. KWS has now started community sensitization campaigns to teach the communities around the parks and other reserves the importance of protecting the wildlife so that they can help in capturing the poachers. KWS also intends to secure more area for these animals to protect those outside the reserved areas and also engage communities in the conservation campaigns and an example they can give are the 326 conservancy rangers who have just completed their training and have now become professional wildlife conservationists, he said
He then urged these freshly trained rangers to be the best ambassadors in protecting Kenya’s wildlife that they can be because tourism contributes highly on the country’s GDP and also a source of income to so many people. These rangers are also expected to assist in stopping human wildlife conflict for example there are incidences where the animals escape from the parks like the case was when elephants escaped and destroy a lot of people’s properties more so the crops, homes, killing people which gives the poachers a good reason to kill such animals but with an increase in the number of rangers, they will be able to prevent this from happening or help prevent them from causing massive destruction of people’s property.
Uganda safari news
The Uganda Wildlife managers together with the Uganda Wildlife Authority disproved all the claims that have been brought up stating that the animals in the Uganda national parks and game reserves are currently declining because of the poor management. There are animals and birds for example the ostriches, lions and zebras which are decreasing at a very high rate something that causing great concern to the conservationists.
However, the responsible people from their offices I Kampala mentioned that the decline in the wildlife is as a result of the change in the climate which is affecting the procreation grounds and therefore making it un conducive for reproduction but also, there is a problem of human encroachment leaving the animals without enough space for their survival thus the decline in their numbers
The executive director of the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) Mr. Andrew Sseguya said while addressing the press that although his office respects the report produced the Auditor General about the money audit in 2011, it is still true that the report produced about the real conditions of wildlife populations in Uganda’s national parks was not exact. It is also true that in some areas, this decline in the animals is as result of both the anthropogenic and environmental factors Sseguya added.
This is the reason why the blame should be put on only The management system given the fact that climate changes have affect so many other countries around the world as well as the human population increase which they some how have got no control over and yet they destroy the homes for the wild animals as they seek for land for settlement and cultivation. Despite all this, the management together with Universities in Uganda and others outside are working with the Wildlife Conservation Society to do research into the population dynamics of the Uganda Kob in Queen Elizabeth National Park. They will be producing a report about it at the right time Sseguya added.
Seguya made it clear that Murchison Falls National Park never lost 25 elephants in 2011 as it was mentioned in the report produced as said in the report and yet the figure was for those poached in the whole country in that year although it is true that the figure was higher than that of the previous years. Apparently, there is an increase in illegal hunting of elephant in most countries Africa after the down listing of elephants in Southern African countries (Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe) by the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species) in Qatar in 2010 and removing ban on ivory sale in those countries.
Uganda safari news
Report got from Kenya indicate that the Kenya tourism sector realized an increase in the amount money collected as revenue in Kwale County Council to Sh122 million this financial year of 2011/2012 which will be ending in June from Sh87 million that they have been receiving in the past years.
This is a result of the fact that the council has also become more serious about those who have not been paying as well as those who love dodging these taxes. There are tight security measures that have been put to capture the debtors and also get rid of all the lose ends in this system. This is why there is this remarkable increase in the amount of revenue collected and therefore a huge record made in the history of the council.
With this amount of money collected, the council became the best performer in Coast province and 11th in the whole country in Kenya’s 2010/2011 Local government council rankings. However, Hamisi Boga the chairperson of the council’s Finance committee mentioned that there are so many other resources from which can collect allot of money to use for national development. He was happy about the fact that their harsh measures that they employed to collect the taxes has yielded some good results. The Diani councilor also agreed with the rest of the members that the council’s efforts have led to the improved revenue of course working together with the Tourism industry which ensures that all the lodges and cottages set up are registered more so those set up by private people but are used to provide accommodation to tourists.
Boga confirmed that there are so many of such cottages that have been dodging taxes pretending to be private houses and there denying the council an opportunity to collect the sufficient amount of revenue. There are also some foreigners who have built building cottages and register them as residential houses/ homes but end up hosting about thousands of tourists and more who come to have holidays in the country. Fortunately, the council has also discovered the trick. The council’s target is to correct at least Sh140 million by June.
Uganda safari news
Reports from Zanzibar state the members of the Zanzibar House of Representatives are not comfortable with the fact that the tourism sector has most of its members as foreigner which was not the original plan that they had in mind at the time they formed the industry three decades ago.
They have got proof that the industry is very much dominated by more than one-thousand foreigners Kenyans inclusive who took up the jobs in most of the tourist hotels. They are almost Tanzanian citizens with the Tanzanian passports too so said Mr. Makame Mshimba Mbarouk (CCM- Kitope).
Mbarouk also blamed the government and the immigration offices for not being responsible enough, for not being able to solve the problem that the residents are face although they had got all the information that they needed regarding the foreigners working in Zanzibar illegally. He said this during the discuss they had about the report from the House committee in charge for “livestock, Tourism, economic empowerment and Information.
The legislator added that on several occasions, there has been serious breach of the employment laws in the tourism sector including the lack of contracts as well as unnecessary dismissal of workers, like the Blue Bay, Karafuu, and Serena Hotels. Mr. Ismail Jussa Ladu CUF-Mjimkongwe also mentioned that the unemployment problem which is so common n Zanzibar can only be solved through establishing what is called the job restriction rules to make sure that the jobs in the hotel are only taken by people from Zanzibar.
The ministers is also to blame for what is happening in the country since his office often takes bribes from foreign investors especially after they have abused the existing laws. Jussa is also not happy with some leaders like the minister who use the Bwawani Hotel which is a state property and they do not pay their bills while others like Ms Ashura Sharif Ali and Mr. Suleiman Hemed Khamis (CUF- Konde) condemned among the youths who are currently copying every thing that the white do. Art the same time, Jussa pleaded to the media owners and to the government too to work on the matters that are pressing the journalists who midst all problems work mores so without any proper working tools, no transport, and poor payment something that should be addressed.
UGANDA SAFARI NEWS
There are two elephants that have been killed in Meru and the Kenya Wildlife Service rangers are looking for these poachers. These elephants were killed from the Lower Imenti Forest using the poisoned spears. One of the elephants was found by rangers at Nkunga Forest after they followed its blood trails and after this, they have started their straggle against illegal hunting especially now that they have come up with surveillance system where they can posts on tall trees to capture the videos and be able to catch the wrong hunters.
Josphat Erupe the senior warden said that they were told about the killings by a chief and yet they had been looking for those two elephants since last week but it is so unfortunate that they were killed by poachers while at the watering pan. It had wound which was bleeding and had been left behind by the rest of the herd after it became too weak to walk but what was surprising was the fact that by the time they got to it, it still hard its tusk with it.
He also added that it is also probably true that these poachers are also robbers who attack and hijack vehicles along the Meru-Nanyuki Highway and are in most cases they have got guns with them. They have improved on the security in the area and are also working together local resident around the forest to help them capture poachers who have made a daily routine to kill animals in the forest. It was unfortunate that the first elephant died before a vet who had been called to treat it and with also, the poacher missed out on the tusk because it was found before he found it to cut the tusk off.
This forest is a home to more than hundreds elephants most of which migrate from the Mount Kenya Forest and the Lewa Downs Conservation in Laikipia as they seek for more for pastures to feed on since it is plenty in the Lower Imenti Forest.
UGANDA SAFARI NEWS
The government of Uganda has got to protect its wildlife which might face extinction sooner than expected. this is based on the report produced about the wildlife populations in the game parks which clearly indicates that the rate at which the animals and birds in the different national parks in the country is greatly increasing something that has cause great fear among the conservationists that the country is likely to face wildlife extinction more so f the uncommon species in the near future.
According to the information that was got, there were about 25 elephants that were illegally killed in Murchison Falls national park just last year and it is so far the worst report made about the vice for last so many years in just one national park especially since has not been losing so many, just about 2-3 elephants in a year. According to the Auditor General, the rate at which the wild animals are being killing is very alarming and something should be done about it as soon as possible to avoid any related consequences.
The most affected are the lions in Queen Elizabeth National Park which have now been reduced by 81%, followed by ostriches reduced by 79%, Zebras at 74% and then the Uganda Kobs at 69%, this is followed by so many others.
It is very important to note that the tourism industry contributes greatly to the economy of Uganda especially since the industry contributes about 5.7% the country’s GDP every year and according to the World Travel and tourism council, Tourism contribution to the GDP is most likely to improve from 3.3 trillions to 5.8 trillion by the end of 2012 which is a very high contribution to the national that deserve to be appreciated and so ensure that such earnings are maintained or improved something that can only be done through protecting the wildlife and all tourist attractions that the country has got to offer to both the local and foreign tourists.
UGANDA SAFARI NEWS
