KWS IMPLEMENTS THE ADDITION OF VAT TO PARK FEES

The Kenya Wildlife Service has increased fees for tourists visiting national parks, game reserves and other wildlife sanctuaries, sparking an outcry from key players in the tourism sector.

The new fees arise from a 16 per cent Value Added Tax (VAT) imposed on tourism activities following the implementation of the VAT Act 2013 in September last year.

In an advertisement published on January 13th 2014, KWS said that nature lovers will pay more starting January for visits to the national parks, game reserves and sanctuaries that it manages.

“KWS would like to inform our esteemed clients that all conservation fees for national parks, reserves and sanctuaries under KWS management will be adjusted to include 16 per cent VAT from January 2014,” said the notice published in Monday’s Daily Nation.

This came in as a huge blow to Tourism industry in Kenya. Players in the tourism industry at the Coast expressed outrage at the increase. The said the region was already losing potential tourists to Tanzania where game parks charge relatively lower fees compared to Kenya. Kenya has a total of 54 national parks and reserves with the largest of these parks being Tsavo East and West national parks.

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MKTE TERMED ‘GREAT SUCCESS FOR KENYA TOURISM’

The just concluded 3rd edition of the Magical Kenya Travel Expo at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre has dwarfed previous attendance records by a wide margin,

For the first time did international exhibitors attend Kenya’s premier tourism show as the tourism boards of the Seychelles, India, Zimbabwe, Burundi and South Africa were represented with stands as was the Uganda Association of Tour Operators, the latter to forge closer cooperation with their Kenyan counterparts. Foreign airlines too attended for the first time, namely Qatar Airways and Ethiopian Airlines, while from Kenya national carrier Kenya Airways showcased itself alongside the two leading safari airlines Safarilink and Air Kenya. A total of 94 exhibitors included for the first time since the devolution of government four county governments including Narok, Kirinyaga and Nairobi. The Kenya Wildlife Service was represented with an own stand to present the country’s national parks, game and marine reserves and other protected areas.

KTB and partners like Kenya Airways, leading hotels in Nairobi and tour companies such as Easy Go Safaris hosted 149 buyers from 29 countries who had come from across the world to sample a piece of Kenya’s natural attractions before attending the trade show, while alongside the exhibition did a symposium on areas of key interest take place, featuring international and local speakers, presenters and panellists.

KTB was particularly pleased to have President Uhuru Kenyatta open the Magical Kenya Travel Expo as it endorsed the tourism board’s initiatives and efforts to move to aggressively marketing the country abroad, starting with the World Travel Market attendance in two weeks time in London.

Participants in the symposium but also in the exhibition were able to give an instant feedback to KTB staff who will analyze the various reactions, observations, recommendations and proposals made to stage and even bigger and better Magical Kenya Travel Expo in 2014. Watch this space.

MISS TOURISM KENYA 2013 FINALE TO BE HELD AT KICC, NAIROBI

With most of the 47 counties having concluded their Miss Tourism contests and winners announced, preparations for the 2013 Miss Tourism Kenya grand finale are in their final stages.

Although speculation has been rife that Mombasa County would host the beauty contest, which makes a comeback after a nine-year lull, it has been confirmed that the competition will be held at Nairobi’s Kenyatta International Conference Centre on December 19th this year.

By November 30th, all counties are expected to have concluded their preliminaries, clearing the way for the 47 models to battle it out for the coveted post of marketing Kenya’s tourist attractions both within and outside the country.

From 2015, the crowning of winners will be happening every May annually, Miss Tourism Kenya director of events and production Tony Chirah said.

“We will not have a contest in 2014 as a way of consolidating our events calendar with the next crowning set to happen in 2015. Then we will have the top model representing us at the annual World Tourism Week every September,” he said.

“Settling on the May date was a deliberate move for us since we felt that it was not a must to fit in the normal hype-time for us to make it. We felt that as droves of people flock into London in November, we can have them come to Kenya in May to see this country in perspective,” he added.

TWO FOR ONE IN SOLAR POWER: NEW PROCESS COULD REVOLUTIONIZE SOLAR ENERGY HARVESTING

Solar cells offer the opportunity to harvest abundant, renewable energy. Although the highest energy light occurs in the ultraviolet and visible spectrum, most solar energy is in the infrared. There is a trade-off in harvesting this light, so that solar cells are efficient in the infrared but waste much of the energy available from the more energetic photons in the visible part of the spectrum.



When a photon is absorbed it creates a single electronic excitation that is then separated into an electron and a positively charged hole, irrespective of the light energy. One way to improve efficiency is to split energy available from visible photons into two, which leads to a doubling of the current in the solar cell.

Researchers in Cambridge and Mons have investigated the process in which the initial electronic excitation can split into a pair of half-energy excitations. This can happen in certain organic molecules when the quantum mechanical effect of electron spin sets the initial spin 'singlet' state to be double the energy of the alternative spin 'triplet' arrangement.

The study, published today in the journal Nature Chemistry, shows that this process of singlet fission to pairs of triplets depends very sensitively on the interactions between molecules. By studying this process when the molecules are in solution it is possible to control when this process is switched on.

When the material is very dilute, the distance between molecules is large and singlet fission does not occur. When the solution is concentrated, collisions between molecules become more frequent. The researchers find that the fission process happens as soon as just two of these molecules are in contact, and remarkably, that singlet fission is then completely efficient -- so that every photon produces two triplets.

This fundamental study provides new insights into the process of singlet fission and demonstrates that the use of singlet fission is a very promising route to improved solar cells. Chemists will be able to use the results to make new materials, say the team from Cambridge's Cavendish Laboratory, who are currently working on ways to use these solutions in devices.

"We began by going back to fundamentals; looking at the solar energy challenge from a blue skies perspective," said Dr Brian Walker, a research fellow in the Cavendish Lab's Optoelectronics group, who led the study.

"Singlet fission offers a route to boosting solar cell efficiency using low-cost materials. We are only beginning to understand how this process works, and as we learn more we expect improvements in the technology to follow."

The team used a combination of laser experiments -- which measure timings with extreme accuracy -- with chemical methods used to study reaction mechanisms. This dual approach allowed the researchers to slow down fission and observe a key intermediate step never before seen.

"Very few other groups in the world have laser apparatus as versatile as ours in Cambridge," added Andrew Musser, a researcher who collaborated in the study. "This enabled us to get a step closer to working out exactly how singlet fission occurs."

Cradle of Mankind, Turkana

Kenya’s North is desert country- hot, parched and broken by volcanic activity, where ancient blackened lava flows and endless thorn trees stretch from horizon to horizon. 

Getting to Turkana overland is no mean feat. While it is possible to fly to the Lake in a Chartered aircraft (and indeed flying is recommended for the furthest Northern reaches) it must be said that flying to Turkana some what distills the adventure. 

This is place where the journey is very much part of the destination- and it is only by taking the long difficult road that a real sense of remoteness is gained.

 However, the flight itself is quite an experience, taking in wonderful vistas across the Suguta Valley and providing a birds eye view of the Lake itself. 

Most visitors make the longtrip from Nairobi over a 2 or 3-day period, stopping en route at Maralal, Samburu, or Marsabit. The trip winds through some beautiful country, and travelers invariably encounter Rendille camel trains, and pass by tiny villages and nomadic encampments along the way. 

The history and cultures of the North- the Samburu, Pokot, Gabbra, Borana and many more are written upon the soil of this trackless land- and travelling through this area is a great education in itself. Both the East and West shores of the Lake each offer unique areas of interest. 

At the South East tip of the Lake, reached via South Horr, the tiny oasis of Loiyangalani (“the place of the trees”) attracts many travelers to its palm groves, where a constant wind offers relief from the searing heat. 

There is a well-maintained campsite and basic lodge here. Many safari companies and operators offer truck trips to this area- sometimes combined with a Camel safari further south. 

Cradle of Mankind

For over 100 years, the National Museums of Kenya’s has been protecting, preserving, and promoting Kenya’s Historical, Natural, Cultural heritage and recently its Contemporary Art through Museums, Antiques and Monuments. 

Kenya is endowed with the richest pre-historic fossil heritage dating over 100 Million years ago, back into the dinosaur age. The Lake Turkana eco-system is amongst Kenya’s six World Heritage Sites. The lake is the world’s largest desert as well as alkaline lake containing the largest Nile crocodile population.

The National Museums of Kenya holds the world’s largest collection of human pre-history, the longest and most complete record spanning over 27 Million years. You can also find records of fauna and plant species related to the evolution theory e.g. elephants, crocodiles- displayed in-situ at the Cradle of Mankind site.

In addition to fossil records, the existence of a long record of technological evolution with tools as old as 2.3 million years old also exists. The study of human evolution still continues to-date through the tireless efforts of Kenyan scientists at the National Museums of Kenya.

A Kenyan; Mr. Kamoya Kimeu, made our most famous discovery, the Turkana Boy dated 1.6Million years. This was a young boy of 9 – 12 years old, 1.6 meters tall, and is the only almost complete skeleton of a human related fossil ever found in the world.

Make your pilgrim trip to the Cradle of Mankind and discover the land where our ancestors once trod. Take a journey through the most spectacular scenery in Kenya while experiencing the rich cultures of minority communities like the almost extinct El Molo. 

Loiyangalani

Loiyangalani is a good base for exploring- either by boat to South Island National Park, or by climbing nearby Mount Kulal- a challenging climb which needs to be undertaken with care. 

El Molo Bay is home to Kenya’s smallest tribe, the El Molo whose numbers have dwindled through intermarriage and linguistic and cultural absorption into the Turkana and Samburu communities.

One of the last true hunter-gatherer communities, the El Molo are centered on this small bay, which is also a good place to spot crocodiles and birdlife. 

Outside influence has been slow to reach this distant frontier, and the El Molo, Turkana and other communities along the Lakeshores still live lives dictated by tradition, myth and custom. 

In many places here, life continues unchanged as it has for centuries.

Sibiloi National Park

For the more adventurous, the long road North leads to Sibiloi,a 1600 square km National Park recently accorded World Heritage Status. This park is a real surprise after a long desert journey- there is plenty of open green, grassland- and plenty of game. Zebra, Topi, Giraffe, Ostrich, Hippo and the occasional Lion and Cheetah have all been sighted in the park. 

Koobi Fora Museum

Situated along the Eastern shores of Lake Turkana is Koobi Fora Site and Museum, a World Heritage Site also popularly known as the Cradle of Mankind. On site are mainly extinct fossils like the crocodile, giraffe and tortoise at least four times larger than today’s. 

You can also relax at the Koobi Fora camp overlooking the lake away from city life, enjoy spectacular sunsets and teeming wildlife. Koobi Fora is a very important site for Hominid Fossils, famous internationally since Richard Leakey’s discovery of ‘1470’ a 2 million year old skull of Homo Habilis. 

As interest in visiting this area increases, there is promise of improved visitor facilities and safari options in this area. 

Western Turkana

Western Turkana is more accessible, via the road North from Kitale to Lodwar and onward to Ferguson’s Gulf and the village of Kalokol. There is a basic lodge here- originally a fishing lodge for those looking to catch prized Nile Perch. 

About 60 kms further North is beautiful Eliye Springs, home to spring fed oases, large crocodile populations, and many small Turkana villages. There are a few simple lodgings available here.

Just a little further North, the all new Lobolo Camp treads the fine line between roughing it and the more comfortable “easy” tented camps in Kenya’s more accessible Parks and Reserves. 

The first permanent tented camp in Turkana, Lobolo is nestled among 100acres of lush forest, watered by a series of fresh water springs. The camp has 6 spacious, spotless tents with spring water showers and specially raised beds to take advantage of cool breezes, and provide views of the sunset over the Lake. 

A central mess tent serves up remarkably first class meals, with flame grilled brochettes, fresh salad, and excellent local Nile Perch.

With excellent boats and guides- trips around the Lake, specialized fishing trips for Nile Perch and many others are possible. Lobolo caters for those who still want to enjoy the adventure of travelling to this wild frontier, but still appreciate the value of a comfortable bed, a cool shower in the evening, and the occasional unexpected luxury- such as delicious hot samosas with soy sauce served by the campfire.

Overnight fly camps on Central Island National Park can also be arranged. The island is a great place to spend a day exploring. Although only five square kilometers in area, the hills neatly conceal three separate volcanic crater lakes. 

A hike around the crater rims is an ideal way to spend the morning or afternoon. 

Each lake has its own unique ecology- and flamingo, crocodiles and plenty of water birds can be seen as you follow the narrow ridges across the islands spine. One of these small lakes is home to an ancient species of Tilapia- a small fresh water fish - whose existence suggests that the Lake may have once been fed by the Nile. 

The outer slopes of this up thrust volcanic cone are breeding colonies for many water birds, and a slow drift in a canoe around the island makes for great bird watching- with plenty of nesting pelican, cormorant, heron and gulls- and hunting raptors including African Fish Eagles, Osprey and even Marsh Harriers, and local rarities such as Skimmers.

The delicate ecological balance of this region is threatened by increasing human population pressure, but the development of tourism- and its economic benefit- may just be the vital ingredient for the preservation for future generations of intrepid travellers.

For those who reach these outer limits today, there is no better way to spend a night than stretched out by a campfire on Central Island, listening to the soft lap of water on the shore as the sunset gives way to a stunning stars cape overhead.

KENYA SHOWCASES TOURISM AT LONDON FAIR

Fifty Kenyan companies in the hospitality and travel sector were among the 48,000 exhibitors participating at this year’s World Travel Market (WTM) in London, the biggest global event of the travel and hospitality industry.

Cabinet Secretary for East African Affairs, Commerce and Tourism Phyllis Kandie, and Kenya Tourism Board’s Managing Director, Muriithi Ndegwa are leading the Kenyan delegation for the event which kicked off on Monday and expected to end on Thursday this week.

The Kenyan delegation is among suppliers of travel and tourist products who will be meeting to discover and negotiate the latest travel industry trends and opinions, at the WTM which is now in its 34th year.

The Kenya tourism stand themed ‘The Best of Kenya’ will focus on the hospitality of the Kenyan people and the resilience of the country at the background of insecurity and perceived terrorist threats.