KENYA AND TANZANIAN LOCKED THEIR HORNS N BIG LEGAL TUSSLE OVER CROSS BORDER TOURISTS BETWEEN THE FAMOUS SERENGETI AND THE MASAI MARA
Writes Leo Odera Omolo
REPORTS EMERGING from the Northern Tanzanian town of Arusha say that tourism stakeholders in both Kenya and Tanzania wants the border between the two countries two world famous tourists attraction sites be opened in line with the principles and spirits of the East African Community.
The two world famous tourist sites are the Maasai Mara in Kenya and the Serengeti National game Park in Tanzania.
According to the latest newsletter of the East African Tourism Platform {EATP}, the opening of the Bukologonja border which was closed by Tanzania unilaterally following the collapse of the first East African Community in 1977, would save tourists the five hour drive through the nearest border crossing point and encourage regional tourism.
The border at the Sand River is on the route used by wild bests during their spectacular annual migration that attracts thousands of tourists to both countries. Besides its closure, it was a convenient route for tourist visiting the Serengeti National Game Park-Maasai Mara ecosystem.
Following the collapse of the first EAC in 1977, Tanzania closed all border crossing points with Kenya for nearly seven years.
In the mid 1980, it reopened the main highway border points, but left the Bukologonja one closed.
According to EATP coordinator Wafart Matu, visitor to the Maasai Mara wishing to cross into Serengeti sometimes have to drive to Nairobi for an overnight stopover before proceeding to Arusha via Namanga border post and on to Serengeti.
Some tour operator firms based in the Kenya capital Nairobi have complained of extra distance owing to the closed border ,increased the cost of the Serengeti-Maasai Mara package.
Tanzania National Parks spokesman Pascal Sheleti, was widely quoted last week as having said hat Tanzania would not open the border because the differences between the two countries tourism polices.
“Kenya encourages mass tourism while Tanzania prefers quality tourism for a low volume of tourists, but with higher revenue so we feel that once we open Bukologonja border posts, tourist traffic from Kenya can be extremely high at the expense of the fragile Serengeti ecology.”
On his part Mr. Adrian Akiyo an official of the Natural Resources and Tourism Ministry in Tanzania said his Ministry would not bow to any pressure on the matter.” At the Bukulugonja border notwithstanding the East African Community Common Market Protocol that provides for the free movement of goods, persons, labor, services and capital within the EAC region.
“The EAC arrangement is not everything, Tanzania like other partners states is still a sovereign country. We are only obliged to implement those policies we agree with and not everything. Our orders must be respected,” he said.
In addition to the closed border, the stakeholders have also complained about the requirement for tourists to change vehicles at the border of Namanga, Sirari and Taveta, which they said was not only humiliating for the visitor but veiled bid by Tanzania to keep business competition away from its border crossings.
The stakeholders have called upon the two countries to resolve their differences bilaterally
Ends
Eac member states may be losing the lucrative tourism revenue to other African region due to several factors
Writes Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City
The position of East African region as the continent’s most attractive tourist destination has come under serious threats from other regional blocs taking advantage of the region’s lengthy business procedures, insecurity and poor infrastructure to boost their competitiveness edge.
The latest publication of the World Economic Forum {WEF] survey on global tourism and travel competitiveness is jointly written by experts and just released.
It shows that Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania and Burundi are badly trailing emerging global tourism giants in sub-Saharan Africa as Seychelles, Mauritius, and South Africa.
In the sub-Saharan region, the three countries were ranked at the top followed by Cape Verde, Namibia, Gambia, and Botswana.
Kenya, the EAC’s top tourism investment destination come eighth. The WEF cited the insufficient property rights, protection, insecurity, lengthy and costly business procedures as well as dilapidated infrastructure as the main drawbacks.
In the sub-Saharan Africa ranking Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda took position nine 112 and 13 respectively while Burundi was ranked at 30.
At the global level, only Kenya made it to the top 100 countries of the 140 surveyed, coming in at position 96, Rwanda was ranked 105, Tanzania 109, Ugfanda 116, Burinbdi was two positions shy at the last position.
The EAC has been pushing to increase its share of the growing global tourism market. Last month, the EAC secretariat in Arusha reported that it had lined up several projects to increase tourism earnings from USD 7 billion to USD 16 billion annually by the year 2020 .
The planned investment is expected to cost the USD 3.95 billion by the year 2020 up from the current USD 1.65 billion.
The coordinator of the East Africa’s Tourism Platform, Wateri Matu was recently quoted as saying tha6 whereas the traditional tourism products based on the region’s natural resources will continue playing a crucial role in the industry, there is the need for innovations and creativity.
The region’s problems, he added, is the over reliance on traditional source markets. Europe and the US with little emphasis on Africa and in particular the EAC,” Matu said.
The WEF ranking came at a time when East Africa’s tourism sector is preparing for a bumpy ride in 2013, caused by a show down over fears of insecurity and Euro zone crisis.
In Kenya, the managing director of the Kenya Tourists Board Murithi Ndegwa was last week quoted widely by the local media as having said that the country’s recently investment in transport infrastructure such as the up-grading of the Kisumu Airport and the on-gong expansion of the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport could boost the county’s competitiveness.
In what may be affecting the market is the Euro zone crisis because the most of the country’s visitors come from Europe. The other effect is the issue f the travel adversaries, adding that that now that the general elections in Kenya are over Kenya are over, the Tourist Board hopes the travel adversaries would be lifted.
The Kenya Tourist Board, Ndegwa disclosed, has been meeting with its counterparts in the EAC to plan joint marketing initiative and strategies. The project line up included the introduction of a single tourists’ visa classification of hotels, increased marketing expenditure and training of industry players in the hospitality industry.
“We also need to harmonize immigration management system and introduce some sophisticated equipment in collaboration with the relevant authorities in the five member countries, mainly for security reasons.
Ends
EAC plans is targetimg multibilion dollsrs tourist revenujre in the year 2020
Writes Leo Odera Omolo
The East African community member states have lined up several projects to increase tourism earnings from the current USD 7.billion to USD16 billion annually.
Sources at the Arusha based secretariat of the EAC have quoted top officials as saying that the plan is aimed at doubling the number of tourists visiting the bloc from 5 million to 10 million annually.
The planned investments are expected to cost USD 3.95 billion by the year 2020 up from the present USD 1.65 billion.
THe envisaged projects include the introduction of a single tourist visa, a single passport, classification of hotels, increased marketing spend and training of personnel’s in the hospitality industry.
The EAC ministers responsible for tourism are expected to hold a meeting before the end of June, this year to discuss the establishment of the single tourism visa and hotel classification in the member states.
Frustration is growing among the business people over delays in pushing through key projects like opening up the regional airspace, rolling out a single passport and visa, the elimination of non-tariff barriers {NTBs}
They claim the delay in implementing the EAC Common Protocols are slowing the expansion of tourism, trade and business envisaged by the protocol.
EAC Principal Tourism Officer Shedrack Mashauri said the bloc plans to negotiate with the regional airlines like the Rwandair and the Kenya Airways to increase the connecting of flights across the region.
Nearly 60 per cent of tourists budgets goes into air tickets. This money could remain in the region, if we had well established local airlines with strong connection into local market,”said Mashauri,adding that such arrangements would also be made with the international airlines.
According to the plans, a tourist would apply and pay for a visa fee in any of the five member states of Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Brundi and South Sudan, and thus visa would be applicable for travels to all the countries in the region, thus necessitating a proper revenue sharing formula.
It is anticipated that issuance of a single of a single EAC visa and passport will not only ease the movement of people across the region, but significantly boost the regional drive to promote the bloc as a single tourist destination.
Plans are also underway to harmonize policies and have standard training and certification, particularly the tourist guides and hoteliers.
"We want tourists to stay longer in the region, hoteliers and tour guides will be required to be committed to exceeding tourists expectation with great customer service and highest degree of professional ethics,” said Mashauri.
The classification of the hotels is nearly six years overdue said to be due to financial constraints.But the executive secretary oif the Association of Tanzania tour operators ang guide has assured the stakeholders that the matter would be resolved soon.
Ends
THE PLANNED MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR SODA ASH PLANT INVESTMENT IN LAKE NATRON HAS SPARKED OFF VEHEMENT OPPOSITION FROM LOCALS, ENVIRONMENTALISTS AND CONSERVATIONISTS IN TANZANIA.
Reports Leo Odera Omolo
INFORMATION emerging out of the Northern Tanzanian city of Arusha says the battle line is drawn between the environmentalists and conservationists vehemently opposed to the establishment of a multi-million dollar soda ash plant inside Lake Natron.
It says the move is against the background of the report that six foreign firms, which have placed bids to set up a controversial soda ash plant on the shores of Lake Natron.
According to the same source, the National Development Corporation (NDC}, a quasi-government organization, these firms are seeking to set up the USD 500 million factory to exploit a million metric tones of soda ash annually.
Lake Natron a volcanic lake near Engaruka area nearly 220 kilometers from Arusha town have reserves of at least 4.7 billion cubic liters of soda ash.
However, the plan to mine the deposits has been strongly opposed by residents and conservationist who have expressed fears that such a project would adversely affect the lesser flamingos’ population in the area.
The mine is to be set up in the middle of a nesting ground for the one third of the world’s population of lesser flamingos.
A 2010 report compiled by the Wild birds International and Wildlife Conservation Society of Tanzania had revealed widespread opposition among residents to the planned soda ash mine.
But another report seen in Arusha last week by a team of journalists shows the government of Tanzania is determined to kick-start the project on Lake Natron. The Wetland Management plan and environmental assessment study for the proposed project are set to be completed in June this year.
An August 2012 costs benefit analysis report showed that 75 per cent of local residents were vehemently opposed to the construction of the plant.
The report projected a loss on investment of between USD 44 million and USD 492 million over the next 50 years should the plan proceed. It predicted earnings of between USD 1.28 billion and USD 1.57 billion n over the same period if the government were to instead invest in local tourism and environmental protection in the area.
It is anticipated that the environmental assessment studies will also propose that environmental friendly technology be used to extract and process the soda ash for export, as the government f Tanzania seeks to sidestep the growing environmental concerns.
“This time, the director General of the NDC Gideon Nassari was quoted last week as having said this./me, the government will do all it can to ensure the project is realized as planned,”.
He, however,. Decided to divulge the names of the six foreign multinational companies interested in the project. But said the NDC was still scrutinizing them for the purpose of identifying the most suitable one for a joint venture with the government.
Earlier plan for mining Lake Natron involved Indian firm Tata Chemical and the NDC, but the deal flopped and collapsed.
Soda ash, known chemically as sodium carbonate, is key raw materials for glasses, chemicals, soaps and detergents.
The NDCX says the proposed plant could earn the country up to USD 300 million a year and create more than 500 jobs.
The government will hold a 46 per cent take in the project through the NDC, once it reaches a consensus with any of the investors in on-going negotiations.
For the past six years, the project has been facing vehement opposition from environmentalists and conservationists who argued that setting up the factory near Lake Natron would wipe out the breeding grounds of the lesser flamingo, thus putting at risk 75 per cent of the global population of this near threatened birds species.
“Experience elsewhere shows that the excavation can be done without any harm to the ecosystem,’ said President Jakaya Kikwete while dismissing the fears that the plant will wipe out the flamingos population.
“What matters is the application of environmentally friendly technology to avoid disrupting the flamingos breeding sites. Sometime those who are oppose to the project did not know what it entails. Those opposed to the plant are really patriotic because it seems as if they are agents of some people we do not know. He added,
Ends
EAC community is working on single tourist passport and visa for people visiting the region
Reports Leo Odera Omolo
The East African Community {EAC} secretariat based in the northern Tanzanian city at Arusha has singled out tourist visa and common passport as its top priority projects to be implemented this year as the bloc battles to reverse credibility crisis over failed projects.
The EAC Secretary General Dr Richard Sozibera was last week quoted as saying that the EAC passport, the single tourist visa and liberalization of the airspace will boost free movement of people across the region, a promise that the bloc has fallen behind in achieving three years after signing the Common Market convention on people movement across the region.
“Frustration is growing among business executives from the member states over delays in pushing through key projects like opening up the region’s airspace, rolling out a single passport and visa and the elimination of the non-tariff tariff barriers {NTBs}, saying this was slowing trade and business envisaged by the protocol.
The implementation of the monetary union is among the 77 articles needed for the creation.
Observers, however, say the EAC technocrats will be judged by how they handle the integration process in 2013 after the delays experienced last year.
“While the five EAC partner states of Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi had in principle agreed to remove NtbS BY November 2012 in the absence of a legally binding framework, little action was taken. The latest report from the EAC secretariat shows that while 35 NTBs were reported as unresolved, ten new NTBs emerged in 2012 alone.” said Dr Sozibera.
A source at the Arusha based secretariat of the EAC said the bloc has set a deadline of between March and June 2013 for the commencement of printing the new EAC passport.
On the single tariff visa, the EAC Principal Tourist Officer Shedrqack Mshauri was recently quoted by the local media as saying the delay were being caused by lack of consensus over visa for collection and revenue sharing model among the EAX partner states.
Ends
Tanzania under heavy pressure from environmentalists to shelve its plan to construct an international airport inside the Serengeti world heritage site
Writes Leo Odera Omolo
INFORMATION emerging from Dar Es Salaam says the United Republic of Tanzania is facing renewed pressure to shelve the construction of an International Airport next to the world heritage and famous Serengeti National Game Park, creating fears of possible delays in the multibillion dollar project.
THE Deputy Transport Minister Charles Tizeba was last week widely quoted by the local media houses as saying that the construction of the airport outside the Serengeti National Game Park is likely to fail because of an on-going campaign by environmentalists to stop the project.
“The government is facing real pressure from some circles, but it will go ahead despite all these,’ he said.
The construction of the USD 350 million airports was expected to start early this year and the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority had approved the project, he added.
The government move to put up the airport included the construction of a 321 kilometer tarmac road through Serengeti. This element was shelved over the concerns that it would interfere with the wildebeest migration, the only one of its kind in the world and crucial to the existence of the Serengeti ecosystem.
The friends of the Serengeti movement have repeatedly denounced having an airport so close to the world heritage site, saying it would attract human activities near the fragile Serengeti-Mara ecosystem.
Opponents of the project have maintained an argent saying that the landing and takeoff of large planes in Mugumu could damage wildlife migration patterns.
“The new airport", said the Minister, "would offer tourists the option tour KilimanjaroIntrnational Airport and after visiting Tarangire.LakeManyara, Ngorngoro Crater and SERENGETI International Airport to fly back homer".
Analyists,however, say the airport would increase the number of visitors from 800,000 annually to 1.6 million by the year 2015 and double tourism revenue from the current USD 1.4 million to USD 2.8 million annually in the next three years.
Ends
Kenya & Tanzania: Massai issued a threat to block tourist from accessing Serengerti park and Ngorongoro World Heritage Site
Writes Leo Odera Omolo
The Maasai pastralist community living in the Northern Tanzanian region of Arusha has issued the government with ultimatum to either supply its starving members with free food or else it would block tourists from accessing the famous Serengeti national game park and the adjacent Ngorongoro World Heritage site.
The community has accused the Tanzanian government of reneging on an agreement and pushing its people into starvation.
The community, which is spread across the Tanzania-Kenya borders with half of its people living on the Kenyan side while another half on the Tanzanian side has given the Tanzanian government until December 22 to start issuing its members with free food as stipulated in the Ngorongoro agreement or allow them to cultivate the game park land and conduct farming therein.
The Northern Tourists Circuit comprises the world renowned Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti National Park, Manyara and Tarangire National Parks, which accounts for 80 per cent of the country’s annual tourism earning estimated at USD 1.3 BILLION.
According to the pastoralist community leaders, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority {GCAA} has failed to provide for the community.This failure has resulted in the deaths of three children from starvation and hunger.
The NCAA is legally bound to take care of the |Maasai patoralist population living within the conservation area in order to protect the wildlife and other natural resources.
He community says it will block tourists from accessing the parks to pressure the government to honor its part of the deal, or allow its people to cultivate the land in the parks and conduct farming activities therein.
The Maasai said the would turn the tourist circuit into a no-go zone for tourists during this Christmas season.
He ultimatum was issued last week by the secretary of the Ngorngoro Pastoralist Committee .Lazaro Saitoti who said that the government must immediately supply the community with 9000 tons of emergency food grains.n addition to the NCAA giving the pastoralist community the sums of USD 9,375 million,which is equivalent to 30 per cent of the NCAAtuoirst collection of USD 5,215 million,up from the current USD 812,200 million.
The committee protect the interests of the 64,000members of the Maasai community living within the Ngorongoro Conservation area.
Other demands by the Maasai contained in the statement is that none members of the community living in the area be forcefully evicted from the protected areas..
Further demands were that hotels and lodges operating within the conservancy areas should give the community the lion’s share in terms of employment opportunities.
The community is also demanding for three representatives on the NCAA board. Currently the board has only one member from the community. They also wanted to be assured of the political goodwill to develop the community along with its neighbors
The Ngorongoro member of parliament Kaika Sabubg’o Telele warned that the community threat to block the access to the famous tourist attraction sceneries was serious and things could get out of hand unless the government take the quickest action to address the problem.
IN the MP’s view, the delay in supplying food May be a calculated move to frustrate the indigenous Maasai to leave the NCAA and find places to stay away from the conservation zones.
A senior govern ment official, however, dismissed the threat as politically motivated and asked the community to channel its case through the right channel to register their complaints.
ends
KENYA AND TANZANIA TO FUND A MULTIMILLION SHILLINGS JOINT PROJECT TO REHABILITATE MARA RIVER ECOSYSTEM TO BOOST ITS TOURISM VALUE IN THE REGION.
News Analysis by Leo Odera Omolo
Kenya and Tanzania have agreed to team up together in a joint concerted effort t save Mara River which experts says is on the verge of drying due to wanton destruction of its most important water catchment, which is the Mau Forest.
Human settlement and illegal loggers and squatters have depleted the Mau Forest, which is one of the most important water towers in the region.
The two countries have jointly earmarked colossal amount of money to the tune of Kshs 978 million. The moneys are to be utilized towards the improvement of the Mara River infrastructure.
The environmentally important Mara River originated in the Mau Forest in the Southwester of the expansive Rift Valley Province and traverses through the common bores f the two countries before emptying its waters in Lake Victoria in the Tanzania’s northwestern region of Mara near the lakeside town of Musoma.
This particular river is economically valued by the two African nations because it is also supporting two important tourist attraction centers, and also supports two most valuable National Game Pars on both sides, namely Mara Game Reserve in Kenya and the world famous Serengeti National Game Park on the Tanzanian side of the border.
The two governments and NGO organizations operating in the two countries are to partner with the residents and communities living around the Mara ecosystem to sensitize them on the need to stop polluting the river.
The program wile implemented through the Lake Victoria Basin Commission {LVBC} which will coordinate and manage the entire project of rehabilitating the river. The LVBC is an institution o the East African Community {EAC}.
The comprehensive plan to rehabilitate the Mara River was disclosed recently b Coordinator of the Nile Equatorial Basin Subsidiary Action Program Antoine Sendama during the Mara Day celebrations held at Mulot Trading Center in Narok North district. The function was attended by top government officials from both Kenya and Tanzania. They included cabinet ministers and permanent secretaries,
The depletion the Mau Forest had already started spelling dooms for the reforestation n the to countries
The executive secretary of the Kisumu-based LVBC Consius Kamangire told the gathering that the Mara River was a disaster in waiting which must be averted at all costs.
Kenya and Tanzania have already started wildlife and water conservation, farming with communities around the Maasai Game Reserve and strategy to bring to a halt with time rapidly ruing out.
Sendama said NELSAP was formed 10 years ago and Mara River was identified as area of the trams boundary river basin management project to be prepared and implemented under the program.
In attendance w Kenya’s Minister for the East African Community Affairs Musa Sirma and the Permanent Secretary in the Tanzanian Ministry of East African Community affairs George Luwao .
Sirma told his audience that the Mara River Day celebrations was meant to promote trans boundary management framework for the Mara River.
The two nation which are partners in the EAC through the LVBC plans to improve protection and management of Mau Forest and conserve the Maasai Mara Game Reserve and Serengeti National Game Park ecosystem.
The main objectives of the program ensuring household food security increasing farms income and alleviation of poverty through increase access to water for household consumption and agricultural production. This include achieving river basin conservation and rehabilitation of new projects including multipurpose project like Tanzania irrigation and watershed management projects in Gucha, Migori, Yala and Nzoia Rivers.
The program is also meant to promoting co-operative management of shared water reservoirs in a bid to demonstrate benefit of cooperation and sustainable investment projects.
Mara River was losing chunk of its waters due to climate change and vulnerability. The climate change will affect on the residents way of life and threatened the very foundation on which the region’s economies rest..It will affect impact negatively in food and energy security to high temperature through flood and veritable rainfall.
Ends
Sh 15 million needed to boost tourism in western Kenya.
By Dickens Wasonga.
The Western Kenya Tourism Circuit requires 15 million shillings to fully exploit its vast potential, the Chairman, Lake Victoria Tourism Association (LVTA), Daniel Okumu has revealed.
Okumu said during an interview held at Parkview hotel that they plan to hold a cultural dinner next Friday in the lakeside city expected to run from 6pm to midnight and will promote traditional dishes, African attire and music.
Accompanied by Parkview Hotel Manager, Robinson Anyal and LVTA CEO, Anthony Ochieng’, the chairman and Anyal disclosed that the event seeks to promote not only African culture but also food security, research activities on traditional foodstuff as well as cultural tourism which is sustainable.
However, Anyal admitted that although the area has relied on Eco-tourism, it was not one of its strong areas and so the need to focus on the promotion of cultural tourism which will be done every week.
Anyal decried the fact that western culture has been slowly killing the African culture and this has given them a new impetus and zeal to strive to change our eating habits if we stop young people aged as low as five years currently dying from cancer related complications.
The CEO disclosed that the Region’s cultural Event is also set for November 21to 23 at Jomo Kenyatta sports Ground and will culminate in a gala night after a boat racing competition.
“During the much anticipated event we have lined up many activities including cock fights, wrestling and tero buru (traditional event) usually conducted using animals to exorcise demons after burying a prominent person among the Luo community”, he explained.
Anyal pointed out that the Western Kenya Tourism Circuit has for decades been neglected thus making foreign and local visitors prefer going to the coast and so appealed to the media to help showcase and effectively market the region to fully exploit its abundant potential.
Ochieng on his part disclosed that they have projected a budget of 10 million shillings to fund the Western Kenya Cultural Festival and has worked closely with the ministry of tourism, Culture and Heritage among other government agencies who are also expected to come on board.
It emerged at the forum that the organizations and government agencies charged with promoting tourism activities in the area have not effectively tackled the water hyacinth menace as has been done in the neighboring countries of Uganda and Tanzania to open up the lake for sports tourism.
According to LVTA chairman, Okumu the hyacinth weed has been made to spread faster owing to the persistent dumping of waste products from Kisumu Water and Sewerage Company (KIWASCO), Kisumu City Council and effluent from the numerous industries within Kisumu.
Okumu remembered with nostalgia the good old days when a steam boat from Kisumu to Homa Bay could take a very short time as opposed to now when some of the big ships have been marooned in the lake owing to the water hyacinth.
“ We cannot continue allowing the Western Kenya Tourism Circuit to be neglected but must play a proactive role to jump start the abundant potential by encouraging locals to invest in the sector by building modern hotels to provide accommodation before looking up to foreign investors.
END.
KENYA: NEW HOTEL COMPLEX THAT WOULD CHANGE THE FACE OF THE ENTIRE HOMA-BAY COUNTY AND ATTRACT THE NUMBER OF TOURIST TO THE REGION IS ESTABLISHED AT NDHIWA TOWN.
Reports Leo Odera Omolo In Ndhiwa Town.
A new hotel complex that is likely to change the ace of the entire Homa-bay County in the greater Southern Nyanza has been established near Ndhiwa district headquarters.
The Ndhiwa Village Resort Complex, which is located about two kilometer outside Ndhiwa Town has the state of the art finishing with extra facilities such as swimming pool, gymnastic wing and a dozen luxury cottages.
The Ndhiwa Resort complex is built right in the middle of the hitherto sleeping health care club and has changed the face of the nearby Ndhiwa Town.
The Resort has started with 40 rooms and can accommodate up to 80 visitors, but plans are a foot to increase the number of the accommodation facilities up to 100 beds.
The hotel has a standby van which is given as supplementary services to the guest and can ferry them to the nearby Ruma National Game Park in Lambwe Valley which is about 20 kilometers away. And also to other pre-historic sites at tourists attraction scenery along the shorelines of Lake Victoria.
Other features of attraction include the large number of tamed and domesticated Guineas Fouls roaming about and at times flying overheads within the hotel compound. Well, fenced and secure for the safety of visitors, their vehicles and other valuable property.
Ndhiwa town is located on the main Rodi-Kopany-Karungu Bay road, which has recently underwent through re-carpeting and. Visitors wishing to travel to through the Game Park back to Homa-Bay town may also follow the forest road that is leading to the KWS head offices and the main gate to the park, which is also equipped with a modern lodge with the accommodation, food and alcohol beverages.
The hotel has other special features such as two conference halls, one for 100 people and the second or 70 people plus the poolside bar, a discotheque hall and a residents bar, several restaurants.
The Ndhiwa Village Resort, which is arguably the largest investment next to the Sukari Sugar Mills a white sugar factory, which is located 15 kilometers away at Wachara near Oria maket. The market is standing right on the border of Ndhiwa and Uriri districts, and can also be accessed via Awendo-Rapogi –Oria on all weather murram road.
The hotel complex is the brainchild of the Assistant minister for internal security Joshua Orwa Ojode who is the MP for Ndhiwa. The MP, however, could not explain as to what would be the cost of the project when completed, saying that would be done by experts from the government when they come to conduct the grading exercise. Experts have moderately estimated the hotel complex to run into thousands of millions shillings when completed. At the moment some final touches of work are still gong on the complex which is built to close to 4 acres of land all fenced with chain-link wires. It is surrounded by native villages making look sitting I the middle of typical African village.
And the next important building is the still under the construction District Commissioners officer which is also close to the multimillion shillings CDF office complex and Ndhiwa Law Court.
These two institutions have changed the faces of Ndhiwa, which was hitherto a sleeping dusty rural market with only an old building housing the colonial tribal court.
The Assistant Minister is the single investors, but other investors and shareholders might join him in the near future. However, for now the hotel is the exclusively property of Ojode family property.
It has created employment opportunities for close to 30 skilled and unskilled workers with several highly qualified chefs to cater for both for foreign and local tourists and will serve as gateway to the interior and wildest parts of he greater Southern Nyanza such as Suba North, Suba South, Nyatike, Uriri, Awendo and Homa-Bay districts. And also to the various fishing islands along the shorelines of Lake Victoria. to the interior parts of Nyatike, Gwassi, Mbita, Homa-Bay and even to far places like Awendo Uriri and Migori
Ends
KENYA: THE COUNTY OF HOMA-BAY HAS MANY TOURIST DESTINATIONS AND ATTRACTIVE SCENERY WHICH COULD TURN THE REGION INTO THE RICHEST WHEN FULLY DEVELOPED
A Special Feature By Leo Odera Omolo In Homa-Bay Town
.
HOME-BAY County one of the newly created 47 counties under the new constitutional dispensation is promising to offer a lot for the future of the residents along the eastern shoreline of Lake Victoria
.
The County’s shoreline in Lake Victoria is covering close to a distant of approximately 28o kilometers. It starts at Nyakwera on the Nyakach-North Rachuonyo districts borders and winds up at Lakinyiero in the Southwestern border of Suba South district with Nyatike district in Migori County.
There close to twenty small fishing islands on the Kenyan side of the lake and some of them are potential as tourist’s destinations.
The County is also full of pre-historic sites which could be developed as potential tourist attractions if the next county governance could do its home work and if possible succeed in luring both foreign and local investors to come and developed tourist class hotels, lodges and beach resort facilities.
The region is also potential destination for bird watchers, but above, the Suba region could provide close to 60 per cent of the County annual income accrued from fish, and fish trade, tourism, hotels, lodges and beach resorts, though these could be achieved on self-help development schemes, but it would also require a lot of input from possible foreign sources and massive investments.
Already local inputs are evidence in places like Mbita Town, where several beach resorts of the tourist class have sprung up in the recent past, more efforts is still required to crown it all. The proprietors of the beach resorts also need more capitals to invest in extra curriculum activates such as boat racing, skiing ensure that their facilities are well equipped with speed boats to ferry the tourists around the lake on von voyage trips to the nearby pre-historic sites and birds watching trips.
A local resident who is a candidate vying for the lucrative and powerful position of the county governor Dr. Mark Matunga recently made a moderate estimation that Suba region alone could rake in close to 70 per cent of the County annual revenue.
Dr Matunga cited the recent restocking of the Ruma National Game Park in Lambwe Valley with new species of wild animals such as zebras black and white rhinos, giraffe, improved fishing facilities and fish trades and other facilities.
In the recent past, Homa-Bay County has witnessed the construction of new tarmac roads like the Kendu-Bay-Homa-Bay and Homa-Bay Mbita roads as some of the component of e important development of the infrastructure taking place.
The region, especially the Suba region is well served with the Ndori –Luanda Kotieno ro which winds u at the Mbita Ferries, which is plying the narrow Nyanza Gulf between Luanda Kotieno on the Rarieda side of the lake to Mbita Town.
The private firm that owns and manages the Mbita Ferries has recently introduced new and the largest ferries that can carry up to 30 motor vehicles plus close to 200 passengers at a go in one trip. This is a tremendous improvement and would provide the travelling passengers with quick accesses in crossing the narrow channel. The ferry service is expected to improve economic activities in the Suba region as it will facilitate quick travelling to businessmen and traders visiting major wholesale and distribution shops in Kisumu City.
The private firm that runs and manages he Mbita Ferries is reported to have already initiated a tentative plans it envisaged to launch a new ferry service between Mbita and Mfangano Island in the near future, It will also be ferrying both passengers and vehicles aboard that could be used by visitors on while touring around the important sites and scenarios on Mfangano Island where all weather roads have already been constructed.
The construction of roads on Mfangano Island came about as a personal initiative of Dr.Matunga, who is a native of the Island who also single handed initiated the massive electrification. He single-handed secure a powerful diesel fired engine ,which has now brought the hitherto sleeping and backward Island into limelight of brightest lights through the power supplies to schools and other important institutions as well a to the individuals homes.
There are close to twenty small fishing islands on the Kenyan side of the lake, some which could be developed as the tourist destination, and could make the country compete with other tourist destination regions like Seychelles Islands, Mauritius and even South Africa. Notable islands which are suitable for the establishment of beach resorts and lodges include Takawiri, Ngodhe, Kiwa, Remba,Ringiti.
Another potential Island is the famous “Soklo Kipenji or Soklo Kibanga” which is close to a number of important fish landing beaches around Usawo on the mainland. Next to “Soklo Kipenji” is the Sukri, which is much close to Homa-Bay town on the mainland. Sukri ha fertile an which is arable and has so many inhabitants living on it, though most of the spent their day time doing or tending to their businesses in Homa-Bay Town and only retires to the island at the fall of the night using motor boats and home made canoes.
“Soklo Kipenji” is full of myths in folklore tales of the past. For many years, the locals held firm believes that it was a place where there is a hidden powerful and invisible devilish being from other planet. Fishermen dared not land their fishing boats on “Soklo Kipenji” and travelers plying the nearby lake waters on their r way to Mbita Point from Homa-Bay pier were always forewarned not to ask any question.
It has never been inhabited nor frequented by the locals, and it was said that even the fish eagles never landed their catches on its rocks, and that ever crocodiles, lizards and monitors stayed away fro the tiny island. Unconfirmed reports says that two White European explores who defiantly ignored the advice of the locals not to visit the Island in 1922, shortly immediately after the end of the first World War, and attempted to land - - their boat mysteriously disappeared never to be traced to date. And that is how this Island earned its name.
However, following human settlement pressure in the nearby Lambwe Valley forest, Baboon, Monkeys and even hyena have of late took refuge on this island. It has been deprived of its natural trees by charcoal burners and women in search of fire wood, leaving only sky pointing sharp rocks with no vegetation to protect its soil.
Ake Simbi Nyaima, the volcanic lake, which is situated in Central Karachuoyo Location in Rachuonyo North district as well as birds sanctuary near Oyugis, are some of the potential areas worth development, if at the Central Government is keen in resuscitating its forty five year old Western Kenya Tourist circuit, which has remained in the drawing board ever since it was initiated and launched by the then Minister for Tourism and Wildlife S.O. Ayodo in 1967.
Homa-Bay County is also rich in minerals, especially gold, which are said to be in abundance around Wire Hill near Oyugis, and at the old Awuoro mine about six kilometers south east of Oyugis Town and near Mithui Secondary school Kokal area.
The now closed down gold mine which is only a few meters away from Ruga Market on he right side of the Oyugis-Kisii road thrived in the 1930s and early 1940s, but he foreign investors, mainly South Africa Bower and Australian miners close them own following pressure mounted by the black nationalist during the struggle for political independence. The gold deposits were never exhausted.
Red ochre could also be mined on the slope of the Hill facing Mithui ,which are so good for home floor colors, and next to the scene on the Oyugis Gamba Market {Rioma road] one come direct to the old caves where people used to take cover from their invading enemies during the old days.The caves are now being used as pilgrimage site by religious people.
The crocodile shaped rock on to of a hill in Kauma Kwadhigone area of Karachuonyo could be another potential center of tourist attractions of attraction, especially to those visitors wished to see the wonders of the world.
A tourist class hotel is already in place put up by he Germans near Kowu9or Pier,{formerly Homa-Lime area} which adequate facilities for any class of visitors, VIP included. Another decent hotel facility is the tausi hotel, located within Rodi Kopany Market, which serves as the junction of Homa-Bay Rongo and Ndhiwa Rangwe roads. And a few kilometers way is the latest Ndhiwa Resort, which is established in Ndhiwa Town and the brain child of the area MP Joshua Orwa Ojode. The road from Rodi Kopany to Ndhiwa has been modernized and the work is progressing well via Aora Chuodho, where the Massoulin of the world record breaker polygamist of all time the late Ansentus Akuku Ogwela, commonly known as Akuku Denja is buried. In his life the danger man is believed to have married more than 100 wives, though at his death there were only 39 of them were still living in his three homesteads which are well spread from Central Kanyamwa, Kwabwayi and Karungu Locations. He had more than 209 children.
Branchi off at Mirogi Trading Center, the visitor has only eleven kilometer
drive into the main gate of the Ruma National Game Park in Lambwe Valley. Next to the park is he pre-historic” Kor Lang’o”, the now defunct main road believed to have been used by the Massais people while taking their herds of cattle for water I Lake Victoria centuries ago.
the KWS headquarters for Ruma National Game Reserves one can drive via Kanyamwa escarpment and link up with the main Homa-Bay –Mbita road at Ogongo or drive to Homa-Bay town only 23 kilometers away from the Forest main gate. Inside the Game Park there is a lodge with all facilities which offer social amenities to the visitors wishing to stay overnight.
Branching off at Mirogi Trading Centre is only eleven kilometers drive to the Lambwe Valley is being maintained by the KWS. Homa-Bay Tourist Hotel could be the next destination for the visitors while other could pt up at the Hippo Garden Hotel also located in Homa-Bay town. There are small and medium class hotels offering accommodation in town. But now that Homa-Bay Town has been chosen as the regional administrative headquarters for the
Homa-Bay County more enterprising hotels are expected to sprung up.
The lakeside town which hitherto was a sleeping town is expected to be the hub of business activities in the region due to its proximity to land and water transport system to other destinations in the region. Both foreign and local entrepreneur are welcome to invest in a five star or lesser graded hotels in order to tap the revenue expected to flow in from the tourist and other visitors to the region.
The resuscitation o Homa-Bay town will, however, depends on the good governance and proper planning by the County governance. But given the fact that all major roads leading to the ton have been constructed and the other on modernized.
A large deposits of lime and cement tones were recently discovered around Ruri Hills and the new Homa-Bay County will have to go out flat looking for the potential investors into the a Cement factory.
The town is now looking rejuvenated and no longer the dusty place of the past .This has been done head of the inauguration of the new County Offices, which will be immediately soon after the next general election, perhaps next year.
Moving further west, visitors will be able to see the famous pre-historic site of the famous Nyamgondho Wuod Ombare shrine at the shore of Lake Victoria not far away from Nyandiwa Beach Trading Center.
The government has already signed a new contract with the Chinese road construction firm to have the Mbita-Sindo-Magunga road, which is expected to link up with another highway from Ndhiwa ro Sori .Town in Nyatike district. This give unlimited access to tourists and visitors an easy driver along the lake with the possible branching off to areas like Kisegi and Nyandiwa chi is a fast growing beach town.
Former Gwassi MP Zadock Syong’o whose birthplace is at Kisegi had secured the power supplies to most schools and market places in Gwassi. Next to Nyandwa is the beautiful Kiwa Island which has a population estimated to be slightly over 500 people complete with their domesticated animals. The new road will traverse via Sindo,Nyabera, and pass through the Ruma National game Park to Magunga, pss through the junction of Tonga Secondary School via God Bura to Kokomo and Kiabuya junction and then to Laknyiero from where it will link up with Sori Town.
Plans has already been envisaged to have this road constructed via the vast Kadem up to Muhuru-Bay near the Kenya Tanzania border. This plan was recently disclosed by the Prime Minister Raila Odinga when he addressed a mammoth crowd at Kaswanga in Rusinga West Location, Rusinga Island during the burial of the former Kenya’s Permanent representative to the UN the late Michael Okeyo.
Mfangano Island is another place which is full of pre-historic sites, and yawning or the development of more tourist class hotels. On top of Soklo plateau, there are several sources of mineral waters, which could be bottled
The same could be said of the twin island of Rusinga. Here a few hundred meter of Wanyama fish landing beach there laying deep in the water two oxen looking like stones. The stones according to the local folklore were the remnants of two full grown up bulls which belonged to two cousins called Mnyama and Ware. The stones are called Nyama gi Ware signifying to the two sub-clansof Wanyama and Waware, and the saying goes that the two bull had fought the fiercest battle until they landed in the water where they turned into permanent stones. These are just mythology tales. However, the area is potential for the development of good beach resort hotel of tourist class.
A;ready there in place a tourist lass hotel at Kamasengre next to the airstrip and not far away from the buralk place of one of the uncompromising champion of freedom fighter/architect of Kenya’ independence and charismatic politician the late Tom Mboya, the former Minter for Economic Planning and Development in the post-independence cabinet who was assassinated in a Nairobi street in 1969.
Some, medium class hotels are already in place in Mbita Town, which included Mbita Beach Resort, ICIPE Guest House, Rusinga Holiday Inn, and others currently catering for visitors, but more facilities including speed boats for sporting are still required for the region to be able to reap the fruit of the expected influx of tourists into the region in the near future.
Ends
Tanzania plans to establish ten new airports to ease air travels in the country
Reports Leo Odera Omolo
INFORMATION emerging from Dar Es Salaam says Tanzania has envisaged plan of establishing and upgrading ten regional airports countrywide at USD 67.5 million infrastructure project set to kick off before the end of the year 2012.
The project will also feature the completion of the modernization of Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar Es Salaam to enable it to handle more than 30 planes per hour, up from the current 11 planes an hour beginning July 2012.
Transport Minister Omar Nundo was quoted last week as saying the airports will be built in Kigoma and Tabora regions in the western parts of the country. In Rukwa and Mbeya regions in the Southern highlands, Mafia district {Coastal},Msalato {Dodoma},Singida,Mwanza, Arusha and Bukoba [Kagera}.
“Construction of the airports will improve infrastructure helping the aviation industry meet the increased demand,” said the Minister.
Despite the existing tourist attractions such as the world famous Serengeti National Game Park, Mt Kilimanjaro and the sea resort of Zanzibar,Tanzania has not hit tourism target due to poor infrastructure and other failures. For example, 794 tourists visited Tanzania in 2010 against a one million tourist target, although earning increased by 11 per cent during the period to USD 1.28 billion.
This has seen mining industry overtake tourism as the main country’s foreign exchange earner. Officials said the initial plan was completed last year, while the feasibility study has been presented to the World Bank for approval.
Construction of Songea International Airport in Mbeya region is currently going on and is on course to be completed in December this year.
The Tanzania Airport Authority has completed feasibility and design for Msato Airport in Dodoma.The government has kicked off a compensation plan for the residents who will be affected by the project.
Finance Minister Mustafa Mkulo was also quoted in the local media as saying that the government was involved in serious discussion with its development partners as well as the Arab Bank for African Development and African Development Bank for a USD 105 million loan for the construction of Msalato International Airport.
The government has set aside USD 650 in the 2011-2012 budgets for the same project. Terminal 1 and 11 at the Julius Nyerere international Airport are currently 12 million passengers a year, but are now handling up to 1.5 million passengers. This should help ease congestion at the airport. The two terminals were designed to handle 1.2 million passengers a year, but are now handling up to 1.5 million passengers.
Upon completion of terminal 111 within the same area, Julius Nyerere International Airport will have the capacity to handle seven million passengers a year.
According to Airport’s masterplan, it will be he largest hub in the region, partly symbolized by TAA’s plan to launch an ambitious export processing zone project to stimulate manufacturing and production of value – added goods, boost exports, and aid in the financing of airport maintenance and upgrading.
Ends
Kenya: Suba region is the richest area within the Homa-Bay County
News Feature By Leo Odera Omolo In Mbita Town.
Sub-region, which is part of the Homa-Bay County, the largest in the greater Southern Nyanza is potentially and versatile in facilities which could rack in millions of shillings in terms of revenue collection if such resources could be properly developed.
Suba region is covering areas like Mbita and the newly created Gwassi administrative districts. This region along with its abundance resources is capable of making he vat Homa-Bay County one of the richest among the 47 counties countrywide.
It potential source of the resources and revenue include tourism, fishing and fish trades, hidden minerals, pre-historic sites and its proximity to the cross border trades across Lake Victoria and the neighboring states of Tanzania and Uganda.
Mbita and Gwassi parliamentary constituencies are parts of the eight parliamentary constituencies, covering Kasipul, Kabongo, Karachuonyo Rangwe, Homa-Bay and Ndhiwa, which forms the larger Homa-Bay County. The region needs only he good governance to be put n place at its administrative headquarters, which is located at Homa-Bay Town. The regional headquarters can now be accessed by good tarmacked roads via Rongo and also via Kendu-Bay in Rachuonyo North district.
The pre-historic sites on the twin islands of Rusinga and Mfangano could also be accessed by roads using the ultra-modern Ndori-Luanda-Kotieno road in Bondo that links Kisumu and Mbita Towns. Here the visitors could be ferried in a von voyage 40 minutes journey of crossing the narrow Nyanza Gulf using well maintained and serviced Mbita Ferries.
The Mbita Ferries, a company which is owned and managed exclusively by he local entrepreneur maintains two ferries with one sailing across while the other one stand by in case the one sailing across the channel is stalled in the middle of the lake.
The yet to be fully developed tourist attraction sceneries include Ruma National Game Park in Lambwe Valley, pre-historic sites on Rusinga and Mfangano Islands, Gwassi and in Rachuonyo. It is also a versatile region for lovers of birds watching and fishing leisure.
Ruma National Game Park is rich in abundance game animals of all species, and it is the home of the rare Roan Antelope, a very special species only found at the Simba Hill Game Reserve in Kwale district at the Coast and also in the famous Kruger National Game Pak in the Republic of South Africa.
The park is also housing other wild animals species like elands, reed-bucks, water-bucks, bush-bucks, Rothschild’s giraffes, tofi, the rare waiter antelopes which is only known in vernacular language as “Nyambaja”which resides on the summit of the nearby Ruri Hills and only occasionally come down to the plains in search of drinking waters during dead hours of the night. But only seen by the locals and visitors during the drought and dry spells of time when grass on the hill tops are burnt down by poachers.
However, the “Big Five” namely elephant, lions, rhinos are missing from the list f the wild animals currently stocked in the park. But the fifth which is evasive leopard is there with a few herds of the fiercest buffaloes, which rarely comes out of Bungu-Ruma forest. There are other predators like Hyena.
Next to Ruma National Game Park is the Gwassi Hills which reputed as being full of tree with medicinal substances and herbs. The beauty and value of the Gwassi Hills have in the recent years been vandalized due to intensive human settlement and farming. However, a Kisumu based NGO, the OSIENALA working in collaboration with foreign based financial agencies has made frantic efforts to save the Gwassi Hills with an intensive reforestation program, which has seen millions of tree seedling being planted on the hills and illegal settlers, sent packing.
Also located near Nyandiwa Trading Centre in Central Gwassi is the famous pre-historical site known as “Nyamgondho Wuod Ombare”. In this place mystery human foot-prints and those f domesticated animals could be seen on the rocks, especially during early morning hours when the lake waters are so clean.
The foot-prints are related with the mythological story of an estranged wealthy woman who rebelled against her foster husband and walked back into the lake where she had earlier on been fished out by Nyamgondho a fisherman after some alleged serious family disagreement. The woman is said to have run back to the lake and disappeared with all her worldly wealth including her domesticated animals.
The newly to be instituted County government must go out full blast and source the funds with which t could support the local entrepreneurs to establish luxury hotels and the beaches on both Rusinga and Mfangano islands, Gwassi, Kaksingiri and Rachuonyo North districts along the shorelines of Lake Victoria a part of tourist attractions.
Another pre-historic site s the two rocks resembling the fighting bull which stands a few kilometers off Wanyama beach in Rusinga Island. The stories go that the bull christened Nyama-Gi-Ware, representing the families of two brothers who are ancestors of the Waware and Wanyama sub-clans. One bull as the stories goes belonged to Mnyama while the other one belonged to his brother Ware. It is being alleged that the bull had fought fiercely until they enter into the lake waters while locked their horns and turned into permanent rocks erected inside the lake.
At a place called Soklo Kipenji, which is an island located off the Mirunda and Malela beaches I Lambwe Location, the story goes that the rock island is inaccessible by any human being. Travelers sailing from Rusinga Island to Homa-Bay town are always getting a forewarning not to ask about this mysterious island as their canoe, boats or dhow passes by the uninhabited island. A common and popular say goes that I the early 1930 two British tourist had made an attempt to land at the rocky island and all disappeared without trace to-date. Even local fishermen keep a safe distance from the rocky island while on their fishing expedition in nearby areas. The place, the local fishermen says even birds such as fish eagles and other kept away from.
Other potential spot for the possible development of tourist attractions includes the volcanic Lake Simbi Nyaima in Central Karachuonyo, which is also the center of attraction to lesser flamingoes and other migratory birds during certain period of the year.
Homa-Bay County is also endowed with abundance mineral resources such as the now disused Awuoro Mines in West Kisipul, Limestone in Lambwe Valley, the suspected uranium deposits in Gwassi and other parts of Suba region, gold, copper and nickels.
The region therefore required men and a woman of the highest caliber to man it is resources to generate revenues and good governance to be in place.
Ends
World: Osama might be dead but Osamalets are at large
From: Tedd Kamau
The death of Osama bin Laden has swept the entire planet with joy at least to the Americans.
While that may be 'good news' it goes without saying that his recruits are at large. It reminds me of situation where you kill the mother snake but the eggs are all over with some still yet to hatch.
Though justice has been done, it may be too early to celebrate don't you think...
KENYA: LAKE BASIN JEWEL MAGAZINE (2010), EDITORIAL
Welcome to the second issue of this magazine on tourism and cultural development of the Lake Basin Region in Western Kenya. Our first issue came out in 2009 and this one comes up as a follow up to the first issue come out in 2009 and this one comes up as a follow up to the first issue.
In this issue, once again, we present you with a varied range of items including essays, sceneries and hotel accommodation within the region of great interest in the regard hotel accommodation is the statistical data that we have given, in terms of hotel bed nights occupancy by zone (2003 – 2008) also of interest is the statistical data on the number of visitors to some attractions in the Western tourist circuit (2004-2008). An insight into the potential investments opportunities in the western tourist circuit is also given as well as the regions aspirations towards Kenya’s vision 2030. The magazine also covers the available tour operator and classification of tourist establishment.
In Kisumu especially some of the activities that one may engage in include, entertainment by traditional groups, prayers, chairs, drama, visits museum to Ruma National Park, Impala Park Kisumu Museum, Kakamega Forest Mt. Elgon, cultural exhibitions, boat racing and boat surfing.
There are so many stakeholders within the region also. These as you need include the Lake Basin development Authority, Ministry of tourism and wildlife the national museums of Kenya (Kisumu). The Lake Victoria Basin Film Makers Guild (Kenya) and the universities within and around the region partnership within the universities is of special significance since universities around also do have department of Tourism, Film and Cultural Development. The universities around include, Maseno University, Bondo University college Maseno University Homa Bay Campus Masinde Muliro university of science & technology and Moi University.
The vision of the region in terms of tourism and cultural development is to be a global leader in the world tourism and cultural development circuit in line with the millennium development goals and vision 2030.
The mission of the region in terms of the above is to promote the conservation and sustainable utilization of tourism and development issue through generation, documentation, dissemination of research and collection, management, knowledge information and innovation in regard to tourism and cultural issues and development.
Our core function, envisaged include the following to (1) serve as a national repository for things of scientific, cultural, technological and human interest (2) to identify, protect and conserve and transmit the cultural and natural heritage of the region (3) to promote cultural resources in the interest of social and economic development.
All the above are with the express interest of demonstrating expertise, efficiency, competence, mutual cooperation with stakeholders, creativity towards innovation and adaptation to the ever emerging trends in tourism and cultural development.
We sincerely hope that you enjoy your reading of our issue and we look forward to your ever welcome contributions on how we can together, materialize our aspirations as outlined here in thank you and welcome again. Happy prosperous Year.
AKECH OBAT MASIRA
PUBLISHER
LAKE BASIN JEWEL MAGAZINE
TEL: +254726164954
http/misangoarts.blogspot.com
google search: obat masira
KENYA: KISUMU INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT NOW COMPLETE, OPERATIONS TO START END OF MAY.
BY Dickens Wasonga.
The 3 billion shillings Kisumu International Airport upgrading project whose construction attracted a lot of controversy three years ago when it was launched will now be officially operational by the end of May this year.
This follows the successful completion of the upgrading works carried out by the China Overseas Engineering Company COVEC, which won the tender in October 2008 to do the project funded by the government of Kenya and the World Bank. It was expected to last just 22 months.
Local MPs led by the transport minister Amos Kimunya tours the facility last year.
Giving highlights of the progress of the project so far to journalists in Kisumu the Airport manager Mr. Joseph Okumu said the project delayed by a few months after the initial works which included extension of the current runway by just a kilometer to two was changed to 3.3 kilometers by 45 meters wide.
Mr. Okumu said even the terminal building which was originally designed to have just the ground floor was modified to include mezzanine floor in order to accommodate more passengers and give room for additional commercial opportunities that will come with the new facility.
According to him, a lot of improvement works was undertaken alongside the main project. He gave the example of the improved navigation facilities which saw a state of the art -very high Omni directional Radio Range facility installed.
In order to fit into its new international status, the airport administration has been organizing a lot of training of the personnel at the facility.
Recently over ten of its crew drawn from the fire and rescue departments were taken through a course on diving skills.
Procedures have also been enhanced to meet set standards and the facility now have a marine rescue committee and not long ago it put to test its emergency procedures by holding an emergency drill where all the relevant agencies participated.
The manager added that all the airport staff have also undertaken a cause on safety and security awareness and were now better prepared to handle safety and security concerns of the passengers whose numbers are expected to rise soon.
The airport has a capacity to handle 3000,000 passengers per year at the moment but it will handle additional 2million passengers for a similar period upon upgrading.
When complete the new terminal will be handling both domestic and international passengers of an estimated 700 per hour.
Growth in number of passenger has been witnessed since the upgrading began at the airport and today it has daily flights to Mwanza and Entebbe together with an increased chartered operator flights.
Jet link, Fly 540 operating in conjunction with East Africa Safaris Express and national carrier Kenya Airways currently has scheduled fights.
The Jet Link plane during the launch of additional flights to Mwanza and Entebbe late last year.
‘’They have all increased their frequency with Jet link operating 6 flights daily, KQ 4 and Fly 540 doing 3’’ said Okumu.
Amongst other facilities the new terminal will have dedicated water and power supply system and a state of the art stand by generators.
Modern safety and security equipment, modern passenger processing facilities, business class lounges, and self service customer kiosks for departing clients will be available.
Aircraft hanger for maintenance of aircraft which was previously lacking will also be included and taxi operators and other motorists will now enjoy automated car park facilities.
Air craft such as Boeng 767 or Airbus 300 and 310 will now be able to land or take off at the upgraded facility.
There will be several business and rental opportunities which will be offered to interested business people in competitive tenders. The Kenya Airports Authority will soon advertise the opportunities to the public through the local dailies.
The opportunities will include ground handling cargo transit sheds, fuel firms, car park management, airport advertising and flying schools. Others will include duty free shops, restaurants amongst others.
A lot of jobs will therefore be created directly or indirectly to several jobless people not only in Kisumu but throughout the region.
The manager disclosed that more airport staff will be hired by KAA. Some will be absorbed to work as customer service personnel, safety and security staff, operational and maintenance staff, etc.
‘’We expect to have more airline staff, more taxi operators while parastatal and other government ministries or agencies such as KRA, immigration, KEBS will now have to post their teams here. Horticultural companies, additional health staff and medical personnel, more caterers and ground handling staff will be required’’ he added.
People have already reaping huge benefits from the airport project which initially faced a stiff opposition from the members of Kogony clan on whose land the upgrading work were to be done.
Many have since been compensated for the land acquired by the project and some now live in permanent houses constructed from the proceeds of the sale of land.
Locals also enjoy enhanced security while value for land adjacent to the facility has appreciated tremendously. Several construction projects have also sprung up around the facility while numerous hotels have been built or are under construction within and around the lake side city.
Even the sate light towns as far as Ahero are now feeling the growth ahead of the commissioning of the new facility which will greatly open up the region for serious business undertakings with the rest of the world. Fish, horticultural products will now be exported directly to Europe and other world markets.
Other beneficiaries are those currently residing in sprawling Kisumu slum areas of Bandani, Riat, Obunga and Otonglo which neighbor the airport which are currently under slum upgrading program.
A modern school is being established at Usoma. The modern primary school with a capacity of 500 pupils is near completion and was built at a cost of KSH 20 million from KAA. Its second phase will cost slightly more.
Access road is also under construction to link the airport and the Kisian junction and will help to rehabilitate the now dilapidated section between Kisian and Otonglo.
‘’This facility will be an added advantage in several fronts. It will be a major economic boost not only to the people around here but even into the national economy.
Tourism will get a boost as well as more international visitors land to sample the local culture and tour some of the numerous attraction sites within the western Kenya tourism circuit.’’ Said Okumu.
ENDS.
AFRICA: KENYA IS SEEKING WAY OF RESUSCITATING TOURISM AND ITS FALLING REVENUES WHILE SOUTHERN AFRICAN STATES PLAN FOR ONE SINGLE TOURIST VISA FOR 15 STATES.
Writes Leo Odera Omolo
KENYA will have to re-think about its marketing strategies in order to attract more high-end tourism from its traditional markets whose revenue dropped by USD 329 million last year.
Kenya earned a total of USD 021 million up by 18 per cent from USD 7680 million the previous year, but this figure fell below the USD 1.15 billion target.
Tourist arrival fell below the 1.2 million targets to settle at 1,095,842, as key markets registered a drop in performance with exception of Italy that recorded a 10 per cent rise in visitors compared with 2009 figures.
United Kingdom went down 2.4 per cent and Germany by 1.1 per cent as South Africa and Switzerland fell by 0.3 per cent.
The Minister for Tourism Najib Balala was last week quoted by the weekly EASTAFRICAN as saying that Kenya will need to spend more on marketing its beaches and game safaris, and stop political infighting, which was souring the country’s image.
"This way,” said the Minister, "Kenya will be able to meet the two million target tourist’s arrival by 2012 and three million by 2015". He said this while releasing the full year industry performance results for the 2010. “So far we have done well investing in the new markets such as India, China and Africa, but we need to do more,” he added.
The Minister disclosed that more resources would be invested in aggressive campaigns this year to help the industry tap from the political turmoil in North Africa affecting key competitors namely Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia.
Despite declining numbers, the old markets maintained the lead in tourist’s arrivals. The United Kingdom took the lead registering 174,051 followed by the US 107,842 while Italy and Germany took third and fourth positions at 87,694 and 63,011.France took the fifth position with 50.009 visitors.
Although regional performance has not been fully tallied, Uganda topped the African market with 33,900 tourists followed by South Africa at 33,076, Tanzania had 30,264 tourists.
From Asian markets, India led the pack with 47,611 arrivals followed by China 28,480 and United Arab Emirates saw 14,874 tourists visit the country However, the figure exclude the cross border tour9st arrival which could add up to another approximately 700,000 once the results is fully tallied according to the Ministry.
Meanwhile the 15 member countries of the Southern African Development Community {SADC} are scheduled to hold a meeting in June this year to determine the date and time table when a single tourists visa will be introduced.
The meeting will be held in the Zambian capital, Lusaka. Billed as a “grand debate” the meeting is expected to come up with an action plan that will lead to the establishment of the single tourist visa.
This was recently disclosed by the Tanzania’s Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism Ezekiel Maige who said the move will save the visitors the trouble of hopping from one embassy to another to apply for the visa for the country they intended to visit within the SADC trading bloc.
SADC has a membership of 15 countries namely Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo {DRC}, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
He minister was further quoted as saying that although tourism has the potential to become of Southern Africa’s largest industries, the sector’s growth is hampered by unnecessary visa requirements.
Another top official of the Tourism Organization of Southern Africa {retosa} was quoted in the same context as saying that Southern African states largest industry, the sector’s growth is hampered by unnecessary visa requirements.
Dr.Brodah Munganidze said the Southern Africa trading bloc hampered by the lack reliable air transport. Apart from South Africa,other countries in the region have small airlines that susceptible to global economic fluctuations. “ In June this year we shall debate the possibility of establishing a joint SADC airline that will make our region more competitive in tourism industry..
The role of RETOSA is to encourage the relevant sector in the region to establish a tourism visa in order to increase the market share and revenue of the region in the world tourism. The proposal to establish single airline is also aimed art making air travel to be the cheapest means of transport in the region.
Ends
leooderaomolo@yahoo.com
Kenya: plans are in hand to revive the forty seven year old Western Kenya Tourist curcuit
Report compiled By Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City.
The new constitution of Kenya, which was promulgated by President Mwai Kibaki on August 4, 2010 , and which created 47 Counties, will now open up most of the interior parts of Western Kenya for tourists.
It will open the regions surrounding Lake Victoria for overseas tourists as it will revive the forty five year old sleeping and nearly forgotten blueprint for Western Kenya Tourist Circuit.
Officially launched in 1966 by the then Minister for Tourism and Wildlife in the post-independence government headed by the founding President, the late Jomo Kenyatta, the late Samuel Onyango Ayodo who by then was the MP for Kasipul-Kabondo,the circuit was meant well to give the communities living in the Lake Victoria basin an opportunity to receive overseas visitors.
The program, however, was shelved for years for some unknown political reasons and did not see the light of the day. It remained in the drawing board for well over four decades. Local political pundits believes, this was part of the elaborate scheme hatched by the Kenyatta government to marginalize ad economically strangled rural communities living in the region, especially the residents of the highlands west of the Rift Valley for political reasons.
For many years, tourists from overseas countries were always diverted to the coast and to Kenya’s fertile National in Tsavo East and West National Game Parks and Reserves, which are located between the Coast and Eastern regions, and the famous Maasai Mara Game Park, Meru and Mt Kenya National Game Park and other parks like Abardare and Lake Nakuru Parks With exception of the famous Maasai Mara Game Park, most of these parks are situated in the highlands, east of the Rift Valley.
The aims and objectives were meant to frustrate the communities living in the region around the Lake Victoria basin. And it worked well temporarily serving the purposes of its perpetrators.
In the old days, Tourists were denied the opportunity of visiting the most populous regions in Western Kenya so that they could meet the people and view the villages as well as learnt about their rich diverse cultures and tradition in the villages.
A new private enterprise firm owned by a Kisumu and Nairobi based business magnate Aloys Otieno of the Otieno and Associates has embarked on a well elaborate plan to open and resuscitate the sleeping Western Kenya Tourist Circuit.
The plan is to open up the regions for tourists on several routes, which is expected to cover nearly all the tourist attraction centers, pre-historic sites, game parks with rare stocks wild animals species, bird watching sites, fish landing beaches.
When implemented fully, the program is expected to take the tourist to the Lake Basin regions via several routes, during which the visitors would have a golden opportunities of viewing the unique and green landscapes consisting of tea plantations, the largest concentration of Flamingoes in Lake Nakuru and Lake Elmtaita, hinterland lakes in Baringo County and the Mt Elgon on the northern zones.
It will take the visitors to the southern routes which include the Maasai Mara Game Park and Ruma National Game Park in Lambwe valley, which is situated only a few kilometers of the eastern shorelines of Lake Victoria in Homa-Bay County.
On the middle route, the circuit will take the visitors to the unique Kit Mikaye double storey Rock, which is located a few meters beside the Ksumu-Bondo main road in the west of Kisumu City and also branch o northward to the famous “Crying Rock, which situated a few kilometers outside Kakamega Town in the Kakamega County, and the visitors if lucky enough could have a chance of visiting the nearby Kakamega Forest, which famed to be the home of the deadliest poisonous snakes and unique species of birds.
All these places have very unique stories accompanying them. Tourist may be tempted to drive further west to Alego Kgelo Nyang’oma home of the now famous family of the US President Barack Obama in the Siaya County. President Obama has a family route in Kenya and ever since his accession to power in the US, which is one of the most powerful nation on the earth, there has been a great influx of foreign visitors to the tiny and previously sleeping and backward dusty rural village
Several tourist class hotels have sprung up in Alego Kogelo ancestral home of President Obama which is the burial sites of his grand father Hussein Onyango Obama and his biological father the late Barack Hussein Obama Senior. The Obama cultural Center is currently under the construction, and when completed will cater for the visitors as the family history and other works of the late Obama Snr., a former top economist adviser to the Kenya government.
Depending on the tourist guides, the visitors may drive on past Siaya Town and visit the nearby Lake Kanyaboli, which plans are no a foot to establish a small animal sanctuary to protect the rare, but extremely endangered sitatunga antelopes warthogs, wild-pigs, water-bucks and birds, the re-claimed Yala Swamp now housing a multinational rice farm owned by the multinational Dominion Farm Ltd from the US. The reclaimed land comprises an area roughly estimated to be approximately 17,500 hectares.
The tourist may drive on and cross the River Yala and visit the famous Got Ramogi, which is believed by the local communities to be the first homestead of the famous Ramogi Ajwang’, which is the ancestor of most of the Southern Luos who settled in Kenya about 600 years after harrowing movement from the Southern Sudan, through Uganda and Kenya. Parts of the community moved on and settled in the North Mara district in Western Tanzania. Got Ramogi was recently declared as an historic site, and a structure signifying its importance in the shape of a museum or a tourist camp is planned.
Otieno and Associate an enterprise owned by a Kenyan family has acquired the fleet of new vehicles which include several four-wheel drives vehicle for rough terrain of roads.
The tourists visiting this route may drive backward southern-ward and land at the Nyamira Kang’o Kajaramogi home of the late hero and freedom fighter, the late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, who is the father of Kenya’s Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga. An ultra mausoleum has been construct there, which is housing all the work of the fame hero and the uncompromising champion fighter for democracy in Kenya..
Further southern, the tourist could drove up to Luanda-Kotieno jetty and catch up with Mbita Ferry on a the forty minutes voyage across the shallow water of the Nyanza Gulf to Mbita Point and drove on eight miles to the Mausoleum of another famed freedom fighter the late Tom Mboya at his Matenga village home village, Kamasengre home on Rusinga Island, where a mausoleum is built and declared as part of the National Museum.
And before one reached the late Mboya’s home there is another unique tourist attraction site called Nyama-Gi-Ware. Two small rocks in the sampling the two bulls fighting inside the lake near Wanyama fish landing beach and trading center. The locals believes and maintains that the two rocks were atone time living animals and one bull belonged to Ware the ancestral father of the Waware the largest clan on Rusing island and the other one belonged to Mnyama, a brother of Ware. And that the two bulls fought the fiercest battle until they enter into the lake water and turned rocks. The story is sounding rather suppesitution, but the rocks are worth viewing by any visitor on Rusinga Island.
Several tourist class hotels have sprung up ever since the opening of Rusinga Island via the causeway bridge across Mbita Chanel. They include Mbita Beach Hotel on the mainland, Mbita Holiday Inn Hotel on Rusing Island and a unique Lodge, which is not far away from Mboya’s home. There are also several middle class hotels, which could accommodate the tourist on both side of the Mbita Channel.
And from Rusinga Island tourists using boats could cruise on a one hour voyage to Mfangano Island where there are plenty to be seen. There are Old Caves and the unique Soklo Platoon for birds watching. This sparsely inhabited Island but large in size than its twin Rusinga Island.
There are properly maintained airstrips on both Rusinga and Mfangano Isands where planes carrying tourist have been landing almost on daily basis from Maasai Mara’s Kekorok based airstrip or flying tourists directly from Wilson Airport in Nairobi.
Coming back to the mainland, visitor could drive directly to Ruma National Game Park in Lambwe Valley which has plenty of wild animals including the rare Roan Antelope, which are only found in Simba Hills and the coats and also in the Republic of South Africa. There is a disused tourist lodge, which was built close to 50 years ago by the then African District Council of South Nyanza, but which run-down and closed down its business in the late 1960s due to lack of customers. This magnificent could be renovated by a private entrepreneur and open its door once again if an investor could be found. It is situated rigt inside the Ruma National game Park
Tourist could move on to Gwassi Hills and travel down to Nyandiwa for a view of another important pre-historic site of Nyamgondho Wuod Ombare. Here the visitors come early in the morning hours, they could be able to see footprints of a man and his domestic animals on the rocks, which are believed to be that of the legendary Nyamgondho and his estranged bogus wife, who is believed to have deserted him and disappeared in the lake with her domestic animals and other sources of wealth.
The trip could take the visitors up to Sori Town in Karungu Bay or make a return journey to Mbita via Sindo and onward to Homa-Bay or drives on to Aora -Chuodho via the burial site of the famous polygamist the late Akuku Denja who died and was buried last December. A Mausoleum has since been constructed on the dangerman’s grave. The man is famed for having married close to 102 wives with whom he sired 216 children.
THE ECONOMIC DYNAMICS OF LAKE VICTORIA, AND ITS INFRASTRACTURAL DEVELOPMENT ITS REPERIAN COUNTIES TO SPUR GROWTH UNDER THE KENYA’S NEW CONSTITUTION DISPENSATION.
Kenyan portion of Lake Victoria which is only 1/6of the lake is bordered by the riparian Counties of Busia,Siaya.Kisumu,Homa-Bay and Migori.
The Nyanza Gulf part of Lake Victoria is shallow, highly polluted and frequently invaded by water hyacinth weed which is grossly impeding fishing and navigational of transport vessels.
The rise and fall of Lake Victoria waters and factors mentioned above have slowed down economic activities in the Western Kenyan regions.
With collapse of the Kenya Railways Corporation marine services in the 199s, main economic activities in the region are fishing and marine transport by ssese canoes which are prone to fatal marine accidents. Most of the vessels carrying large quantities of cargo to Kisumu port come from Tanzania and Uganda.
Gulf waters are of little economic use now as fish has emigrated o the deep and larger part of the lake. Waters highly polluted to an extent of even domestic animals do not use it. It is time other economic activities are introduced to spur development in the riparian counties.
Lake Victoria and rivers flowing into it are the major natural resources of the region whose waters should be put to better economic uses.
The Kenya Vision 2030, the current economic blueprint of the Kenya government and new constitution devolving development to the countries calls for initiation of new economic development in the region with the countries need to provide infrastructure for integrated transport system to attract investors to spur economic growth of the region.
To make good economic use of Lake Victoria new vessels need to be introduced for fishing and marine transport. Other activities such as cruise shipping leisure boat rides sport {games} fishing, water sports, rowing ,sailing and surfing need to be introduced to diversify economic activities.
“Hydrographic surveys must be carried out in the lake, navigational charts produced and navigational marks such as lights and buoys put in place. Safety of navigation and vessels can only be secured when the waters are charted as investors would not put in their vessels in uncharted waters“, says an expert.
Captain John Martin Odhach a retired captain who has since became a consultant on marine transport suggested in an article that ports and beaches in the riparian countries should be developed through the construction of piers, jetties and good access roads. Areas served by ferries with bow doors have to be with landing ramps.
Disposition of the ports and beaches are listed bellow;- Busia County Sio Port, Port Victoria, Marenga and Osieko Beach In Siaya County are Osieko Beach, Usenge Beach, Uhanya Beach, Wich Lum, Misori, Luanda KJotieno, Wayaga Beach, Kunya Beach and Asembo -Bay.
Kisumu County has the following beaches: Kaloka Beach, Ndere Island, Kisumu Port, Duga Beach, Sango Beach and Kusa Beach.
Homa-BayCounty has the following beaches: Karabondi, Seka Beach, Kendu Bay,Wath Mainuga,Kowuor, Homa-Bay, Mbita Town,Wanyama Beach, Utajo Beach,Luanda Kolunga, Siehenga and, Rusinga,Sindo Beach, Nyandiwa and Kisegi as well and Mfangano.
Migori County has the fewest beaches. They include Sori Bay in Karungu, Muhuru Bay and Migingo Island which is currently under the administrative authority of Uganda.
Kisumu City which is the regional hub of business and getaway to East Africa now houses regional and national institutions with mandate for economic development of the region such as Lake Victoria Basin Commission, an institution of the East African Community, Lake Basin Development Authority, Lake Victoria Environmental Program, Lake Victoria Water Management and Western fisheries as well as the regional branch of the Western Kenya Fisheries Research Institute.
The East African Common Market with a population of close to 120 million people is a bigger trading bloc requiring better coordinated integrated transport system of air, land water for better service delivery.
The new Counties should by now start putting infrastructure for integrated transport system by developing air strips, ports, piers, access roads, trunk roads and hydrographic surveys in the lake.
Experts says that the Lake Victoria navigational charts currently in use were published in 1901 when the lake was being opened for navigation to complete Uganda Railways arts in 1936,but since then the lake has experienced rise and fall in water level. The navigation Charts are now archaic and danger to navigation
It is now imperative that the lake must have hydrographic surveys carried out for the production of up-to date navigation Charts.
The East African governments have seen the importance of Lake Victoria Basin Commission with mandate to control and regulate marine transport, safety of navigation, vessels, training of marine personnel and efficient manning of ships plying the lake as promulgated by Lake Victoria Act f the EAC.
The government of Kenya and its counties should work with the Lake Basin Commission in effecting Hydrographic Surveys, particularly in the ports and beaches in the riparian counties to enhance safety. Navigation and port charts to be produced with navigational aids such as lights, buoys, wrecks and navigational danger marked on the charts for guidance of boat operators.
The Central government and countries have to construct ports the pier, jetties, ferry landing ramps and anchorages for vessels. Construction of facilities such as cold storage, passenger lounge should be essential part parts of the larger plan for tourist attraction to the regions.
The Central government and the countries need to construct ports, piers, ferry landing ramps anchorage,for mooring vessels.The jetties, piers, anchorage and channels need to be dredged to a reasonable depth for safety of vessels. Under water obstruction to be removed and danger points clearly marked with buoys.
Water hyacinth weed has been impediment to navigation activities in the lake for a long time, particularly in the Nyanza Gulf [Kavirondo Gulf] where it has been blocking ports and beaches The government, counties the government, counties and the Lake Victoria Basin Commission need to work out methods of removing these weeds manually by the labor which is abundance in the region.
The removal of hyacinth weeds will make navigation safe in Lake Victoria. The counties in turn and for the purpose ports attracting more revenues should construct access roads for ease of connections between air, land and water transport. Counties should strength the management of ports, beaches, recreation facilities to enhance their revenue base. The government and counties need to encourage local and international investors to participate in the creation of facilities and amenities.
Investors should be welcomed to put up boat building and repair yards in selected ports with resources as Kisumu City. Kenyan should be assisted to venture into acquisition by guaranteeing loans fro the lending financial institutions to provide marine transport and fishing..
The local counties should provide land in the ports and beaches for building of hotels and recreation amenities. The local Counties should create enabling environment for doing business by providing regulations which enhances safety and security of property and people.
INTEGRATED TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE AROUND LAKE VICTORIA AND SURROUNDING COUNTRYSIDE VILLAGES.
Kisumu City is arguably the hub of economic activities of the Western Kenya region and has a weekly regional market at Kibuye, which is serving Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi and to the extent Southern Sudan. The City is served by rail, road , air and water transport. Kisumu Airport is being upgraded to international standard and will soon be handling larger commercial planes carrying more passengers and cargo for international destinations.
The increase in trade in the region call for better integrated transport system to facilitate the movement of people and traded goods. Rail transport in the region is very limited as the line from Nairobi enters Kisumu County at Koru before reaching Kisumu City. There is a short rail line from Kisumu to Butere in Kakamega County transiting through Siaya County at Yala Town.
Major trunk roads in the region link Kisumu County to Busia Town, Port Victoria, Siaya Town, Mbita Town, Osieko Beach, Luanda K0otieno, Kendu-Bay, Homa-Bay, Migori Town, Muhuru Bay Town Oyugis Town and Sori Town in Karungu Bay. These roads form ring roads around Kenya portion of Lake Victoria. It was planned that by the year 2010 all ring roads around the lake were to be tarmacked and made all weather roads.
The poor dirt access roads to the port and beaches from the trunk roads and counties need to build these roads to ll weather standards to access transport jetties and piers.
When Lake Victoria Hydrographic surveys are completed navigational aids will be in place. Jetties and piers constructed for berthing of vessels, investors will be attracted to deploy their vessels for the provision of marine transport, leisure trips and water sports in the lake.
Residents of the region will be in a position to tap economic potentials of Lake Victoria by diversifying the uses of the waters such as surfing, rowing, surfing and fishing. About two million of cargo transported through the lake mainly in vessels owned by Tanzanian and Ugandan nationals,. Establishment of East African Community as a trading bloc of 120 people, has created huge market with big volume of traded goods requiring efficient marine transport. There is great potential for investing in vessels to provide marine services required in the lake.
Kenya owned Mbita Ferry provides service on the Mbita Channel between Luanda Kotieno in Uyoma peninsula to Mbita Point. The ferries owned by a local entrepreneurs Mr Sammy Wakiaga of Rusinga Island are sometime contracted to provide marine transport services to other destinations in the lake. The services offered at port from Kisumu to Mbita Town and environs by three hours.
Other routes to be opened up are Sio Port/Port Victoria to Rusinga and Mfangano Islands,Wayaga Beach to Homa-Bay, Kendu Bay, Asembo Bay Kowuor and Kisumu. There will be increased agricultural production of food crops to supply local demand particularly the larger Kisumu City market and for export to international market via the newly expanded Kisumu Airport. Fishing in the lake and fish farming will be enhanced for the production of fish. Agriculture and fishing are labor intensive which will result in employment of many people, especially the youths and school-leavers.
Kisumu City being the hub of economic activities in the region will be served by vessels from all over the ports and beaches in the region and those from neighboring countries of Uganda, Tanzania. Marine transport will spur trade in the region, local and foreign tourists will access the vessels for transport and recreation thereby spurring economic growth. The area now calls for the establishment of stronger road transport activities, and local business magnates are called upon to invest into small and bigger passenger vehicles to supplement the marine transport.
Horticulture crops such as vegetables, green maize, flowers grown in the area will be transported to Kisumu on a daily bas to meet the demand of Kisumu City population and for export to international market at Kisumu Airport.
Special built vessels for leisure trips and recreation will serve the tourists and locals who will want to enjoy these facilities. The newly created counties will need to provide integrated transport for people to access the facilities offered by the lakeside city.
Ends
Leooderaomolo@yahoo.com
Kenya: How can Nation Improve her Image abroad?
Kenyans,
Kenya is a very beautiful country: In Kenya alone we have 43 tribes today, and if you count also Kenyon whites, Asians, Arabs, south Americans, Australians, etc we do have avast number of human natural resources. A wonderful language wealth which is just waiting to be developed by the high IQ holders in the country. On top of this we do have a lot of wild life, birds, lions, elephants etc. Kenya have mountains, rivers, lakes, great rift valley etc. The beauty of our country is beyond describing in this e-mail.
But what sometimes let our country down is the type of advertisements the country put outside Kenya to attract tourists or visitors. Kenya is still blindly copying the types of advertisements the British used to make during colonialism or immediately after Independence. The British used to sell Kenya abroad by showing naked Masais dancing with spears, wild animals and dirty poor Kenyans. I am surprised to see still in some Kenyan foreign embassies full with the old primitive advertisement. For heavenly sake Kenya is not only Masais, or wild animals. In Kenya we do have a lot to show outside, a lot which is still unknown to the Europeans or USA.
Take for example: Europe is now in a financial dilemma, there is no money, universities which used to accommodate African studies are receiving less money than before. A lot of these universities are now cutting down the number of African students. So why can``t our country advertise that in Kenya we do have also universities; you can come to Kenya to learn, not only to see elephants or Masais. Kenya can tap a lot of education funds from European or USA students. Through those funds and a vast majority of foreign students; our country can gain a lot including even the brain drain from Europe. We can expand our universities far much beyond the horizon and above.
We Kenyans should bring change to make visitors come to see also the other 42 tribes in Kenya too.
Paul Nyandoto
Kenya: The County of Kisumu will be the nerve center of Western Kenya and hub of big businesses
County News Analysis By Odera Omolo In Kisumu City.
The newly created County of Kisumu is expected to be the nerve center of Western Kenya and at the same time the getaway to East and Central African countries of the East African Community member states.
The County, which is created under the new constitutional dispensation with a City equipped with an ultra modern newly expanded Airport is expected to be not only nerve center for the entire Western Kenya, but a major commercial link center between Kenya and other landlocked African states in the Great Lakes region.
The new counter covered six parliamentary electoral constituencies of Nyakach, Nyando, Muhoroni, Kisumu Town East, Kisumu Town West and Kisumu Rural. Two these constituencies namely Kisumu Town East and Kisumu Town West are cosmopolitan housing in nature multiracial and multi-ethnic societies.
It border Karachuonyo to the southwest, Kasipul-Kabondo to the south, Belgut to the surtheast, Ainamoi to the east, Tinderet to the northeast, Aldai to the north, Vihiga to the north, Emuhaya to the northwest,Gem in the northwest and Rarieda to the west.
The county most volatile area is its border between Nyakach and Belgut due to the re-emergence of dangerous cattle rustling, which has so far resulted in more than ten deaths within Upper and lowers Nyakach regions. Its other borders are quiet and life continued in the normal way.
The County is rich in fishing and fish trade with Kisumu City having close to three fish processing plants. There were more five such plants when the fish trade was booming a couple of years ago, but due to the scarcity of fish, some were forced to close down their business prematurely.
Fishermen are scattered along the eastern shore of Lake Victoria, especially in the Nyanza Gulf [formerly Kavirondo Gulf}. They are in Nyakach, Nyando, Kisumu Town, Kisumu Rural and Seme areas. This is one of the trades which can boost the economy of the City whose populations is being moderately estimated to be between 3 and 4 million people.ost of these people are peasant living in rural locations and the rest concentrates in the peri-urban areas of Obunga, Nyalenda,Pand-Pieri, Dunga,Manyatta and Kondele satellite cities.
The City, however, suffered the brunt of the 2008 post-election violence which saw the traders and businessmen suffering the heaviest losses, which experts had estimated to be in the region of Kshs 6 billion. The City has yet to recover fully from these orgies and madness as well as intensive looting and massive destruction of properties during the mayhem that followed the disputed presidential election result in December 2007.
Agriculturally, the County of Kisumu could be the richest administrative area in the defunct Nyanza Province. It is housing four of the now close to eight white sugar manufacturing factories in the country. These are Kibos Sugar and Allied Industries at Kibos in the outskirt of Kisumu City, the run-down Miwani Sugar Mills at Miwani, Chemelil Sugar Company at Chemelil and Muhoroni Sugar Company, which is located next to the Muhoroni town.
All these factories boost can boost the employment opportunities for close to 10,000 workers if they properly managed and functioning in accordance to their daily production capacity. More people could also be absorbed on income generating jobs as casuals and those indirectly employed at the existing plant.
Bu the poverty index in the region, is the highest especially along the Nyanza sugar belt which covers three administrative districts of Muhoroni, Nyando and partly Kisumu East.
This could be attributed to maladministration, mismanagement, massive corruption and poor planning prompting the residents of the sugar belt region to call for the hastened privatization of the sugar factories. Two of the factories Muhoroni and Miwani are currently under what was termed ten years ago as “protective Official Receivership” which forced Miwani to closedown.
The government also stands blamed for lack of a clear-cut policy towards resuscitation of the permanently ailing sugar industry, and turn it around to a vibrant industrial concern for the economic growth of the nation.
The Countyof Kisumu is also situated in an area well known for its rice production. The rice is produced in the two schemes at Ahero and Kabonyo Rice Scheme. The government through the Lake Basin Development Authority had secured a huge loan from the African Development Bank and used the money in established the rice plant at Kibos in the outskirt of Kisumu City.
The multi-million shilling Rice factory at Kibos is currently under used due to acute shortage of paddies.
So far a number of leading Luo personalities have come forward offering their candidatures for the various position of governance within the new County. Other s have declared their intention to contest the various slots presented by the new constitution.
The Senate seat for Kisumu County appeared to have attracted more personalities who included the the Nairobi based business magnate Eng.Maxwell Otieno Odongo of the Otieno Odongo and Partners Engineering firm.
The engineer-cum-high court lawyer, Eng.Otieno Odongo is also running chain of businesses including rice milling, posho milling, tourist class hotel at Homa-Bay and Kisumu Town and is also involved in large scale sugar cane farming in Kibos areas.
Other names being mentioned in connection to the Senate contest include that of a Nairobi architect and former Gor Mahia FC chairman Ocholla Ogoda, former Nyakach MP Peter Odoyo,
Former Kisumu Town East MP Eric Gor Sungu, Nyando politician Charles Aguko. Other rumors making the round to the effect that the Minister for Medical Services Prof. Anyang’Nyong’o is contemplating the possibility of switching from his current Kisumu Rural Parliamentary seat to the Senate. However, this rumor could not be confirmed.
In the position of covenanted County governor, several names have been floated as the possible contestants. They include that of Walter Kitoto Adel, a Kisumu businessman and a former trade unionist. Eric Opon Nyamunga, the immediate former Nyando Mp and at one time the managing director of the Kenya Railways Corporation, Ojuwang K’Ombudo the former Minister for Regional Development, and two times Nyakach MP.
K’Ombudo who is credited for having been the most efficient and long serving Kisumu Town Clerk is said to be a man equipped with administrative prowess, which is unmatched.
Another name which has hit the ground on the position of governor is that of a professional accountant Fred Otieno Wagah from Kano Kobura, who is working and living in the Unite States. Wagah is said to be a down to earth young man who could turn the County around if given chance. But he has yet to confirm if it is true he will be in the race. Also being menti9ned is the name of the Malindi Town Clerk Lumumba Ouya as the other possible aspirants for the position of governorship.
The County of Kisumu has the ready made tourist destination and sceneries, such as Dunga Beach. There are both the Yatch and Golf Clubs, which are located within a walking distant from the City’s Central Business District.
The City boost some of the ultra modern hotels of the tourist class, and many new medium size hotels that offers comfortable night accommodation to visitors. Other tourist attractions include Ndere Island which is housing close to 100 herds of Impala. A wildlife sanctuary is located within the city, which houses buffaloes, lions, leopard, hyenas and impalas.
Other center of attraction for visitors include the Kit-Mikaye famous rock in Seme, which is located only a few meters beside the main Kisumu Bondo highway and a distant of twenty minute drive.
The City is served by four highways, namely Kisumu-Ahero-Kericho road,Kisumu-Kakamega road, Kisumu Bondo road and Kisumu Busia road.
The water transport is also available in small motor boats, steamer and ships for both transportation of cargoes and passenger to any destination within the three countries of Kenya,Tanzania and Uganda that jointly owned Lake Victoria..
In the Port, the Kisumu Pier, though poorly maintained at the moment by the ailing Rift Valley Railways is still serving the landlocked nation in East and central African regions such as Uganda, northwestern Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Eastern DR Congo, and Southern Sudan and beyond.
All these facilities could be improved tremendously if the right people, are put on the County of Kisumu governance and these are some of the reasons why the residents are calling upon perennial election losers and other politicians to keep off the County affairs.
Ends
leooderaomolo@yahoo.com
Pages
- Conditions & Terms
- INVEST WITH JOLUO
- KUYO / OBITUARY
- LUO KITGI GI TIMBEGI
- MBAKA
- NGECHE
- NONRO
- PAKRUOK
- Science / Technology / Society
- SIGENDNI LUO
- TEDO
- THUM
- Thumbe maka gi kanyo
- THUOND WECHE
- Tin ok en fuwo (#190)
- Tuk dumbe dumbe mit ne nyithindo to en ywak maduong’ ne joka ogwal (#191)
- WENDO MIWA PARO
- WikiLeaks
- WUODH JALUO CHAKRE SUDAN
- World news
Categories
- Activism
- Africa News
- Alerts
- Animals
- Australia
- BARUPE(letters)
- BLOGGERS
- Business
- Children
- China
- Circumcision
- Colonial
- Conservation
- Constitution
- Corruption
- Crime
- Culture
- Death
- Drugs
- East African Community News
- Economic Development
- Education
- Elections
- Electricity
- Electronics
- Environment
- Events
- Family
- Farming
- FEATURES
- Finance
- Fire
- Fishing
- Freedom Fighter
- FROM THE VOA
- Fund Raising
- Gays & Lesbians
- GI GWENG'
- GRANTS
- HEADLINES
- Health
- HIV/AIDS
- Human Rights
- Immigration
- Independence
- INJILI
- Job / Career
- Journalism
- Kenyan Election Crisis: Negotiations
- Kenyan Election Crisis: Refugees
- Kiswahili
- KUYO
- Land
- Landslide
- Law
- Literature
- Love
- Marriage
- Memorial
- Minerals
- Music
- Nuclear
- Obama 2008
- OD PAKRUOK
- Oil
- Patent
- Poligamy
- Political Assassination
- Political Party
- Politics
- Prisoners
- Rain
- Rape
- Refugees
- Religion
- Renewable Energy
- Security
- Software
- Sports
- Technology
- Telecommunication
- Terrorism
- Tomb
- Tourism
- Tradition
- Translation
- Travel
- Uncategorized
- USA
- VILLAGE NEWS
- War
- Water
- WECHE DONGRUOK
- Who's Who
- World News
Blogroll
Archive
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008