Kenya has submitted Lakes Nakuru, Bogoria and Elementaita for inclusion in the prestigious Unesco World Heritage List, meaning that the country is likely to benefit from global conservation funds.
Being in the World Heritage List means that a cultural site or landscape has been recognised for its unique universal value to humankind.
Kenya already has four sites in the World Heritage List: Lamu Stone Town, the Kaya Forests, Mt Kenya National Park and Lake Turkana National Park.
The three lakes provide unique biodiversity and sustain 75 per cent of the globally threatened population of the Lesser Flamingos, Lesser Kestrel and White-headed Vulture among others.
A research camp with environmental organization Save the Elephants (STE) in Samburu National Reserve in Kenya fell victim to a flash flood last week, after the Ewaso Ng’iro River broke its banks. Fortunately, none of the researchers or employees were hurt, but the camp lost most of the equipment—including tents, food, computers, and collars—and data in the flood.
Operations Manager Lucy King estimated it would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to rebuild the facility. STE is now seeking donations to help with rebuilding efforts.
“We would like to extend our gratitude to our donors and partners who have already pledged funds for the rebuilding of the facility. They recognize that the elephant research projects we are conducting are too important to halt due to this calamity,” says Operations Manager Lucy King.
Another camp, the Elephant Watch Safari Camp, was also struck, leaving some employees trapped in trees for hours. Tourists and others were able to seek higher ground.
Two bridges in the Samburu National Reserve were also destroyed.
STE was founded by Dr. Iain Douglas-Hamilton, one of the world’s leading elephant experts. The organization works both on elephant research and conservation initiatives.
“It’s nothing short of a disaster, but we will take a deep breath and rebuild,” Iain Douglas-Hamilton told the Telegraph.
Source: Mongabay (http://news.mongabay.com/2010/0308-hance_samburu.html)
Africa’s low cost airline – Fly540 – pronounced Fly Five Forty – is launching a new sales campaign aimed at getting more UK passengers onto its low cost services throughout East Africa.
Fly540 is backed by the giant 100 year old, UK based investment and mining conglomerate, Lonrho PLC and Fly540 plans to become the first pan-African low cost carrier operating to International safety standards.
The airline with its headquarters in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, began operations between Nairobi international Airport (Jomo Kenyatta) and Kenya’s second largest city and premier port, Mombasa on 24th November 2006. By summer 2009, Fly540 was already uplifting 20,000 passengers per month and operating to nine airports in Kenya as well as to eleven international destinations: including Entebbe in Uganda and Zanzibar, Kilimanjaro, Arusha, Grumeti, Serengeti, Lake Manyara and Mwaza in Tanzania, Juba and Rumbek in Sudan and Bujumburra in Burundi. In 2010 the airline also announced plans to open new hubs in
Angola, Ghana and Zimbabwe.
Fly540 provides daily domestic services to both the Kenyan Coastal regions of Mombassa, Malindi and Lamu as well as to the Western Kenya
tourist circuits of Kisimu, Eldoret, and Kitale, plus the world renowned Maasi Mara Game reserve (as featured in the BBC TV wildlife programme, “Big Cat Diary”).
Daily flights from Nairobi to Zanzibar are becoming increasingly popular and the Nairobi to Kilimanjaro route has been linked with daily services to Lake Manyara and Serengeti for the growing number of adventure seeking holidaymakers who wish to combine game viewing in the Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti with climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.
The airline has a fleet of six modern turbo prop aircraft plus one regional jet, all offering an ideal mix of comfort, speed and economic operating costs.
The current fleet is as follows:
3 ATR 42-320 aircraft with capacity for 46 passengers.
1 Dash 8-102 aircraft with capacity for 37 passengers
1 Beechcraft 19000D with capacity for 19 passengers
2 all cargo Fokker F27
and the latest addition a Canadair Regional Jet CRJ-200 with capacity
for 50 passengers.
The new CRJ aircraft has initially been deployed on the Nairobi to Entebbe and Bujumbura /Mwanza routes and has enabled Fly540 to reduce the flying time between the two capital cities to 50 minutes.
Further CRJ aircraft and new turboprops are planned to join the fleet during 2010.
Fly540 combine a strong emphasis on quality customer service with a no-frills business concept. The senior management team comprises of highly qualified Kenyan and International staff with many years experience working for global, regional and domestic airlines.
Fly540’s Joint Chief Executive Officers are Don Smith and Neil Steffen. The post of Operations Director is held by Nixon Ooko who worked for 24 years in British Airways and held senior positions in both Kenya and South Africa.
In order to promote Fly540 in the UK market, Fly540 have appointed a specialist UK representative, Flight Directors, to support their UK sales and Marketing initiative.
Source: Breaking Travel News (http://www.breakingtravelnews.com/news/article/africas-low-cost-airline-fly-540-launches-uk-sales-campaign/)
