The Total Solar Eclipse November 3rd in Uganda 2013

On November 3rd 2013, the total solar Hybrid eclipse will pass over Western Africa in Equatorial Gabon, Congo, Uganda, Kenya and finally Ethiopia. This is a hybrid eclipse of the Sun with a magnitude of 1.0159. Totality will be visible with the maximum of 1 minute 39 seconds visible from the Atlantic Ocean south of Ivory Coast and Ghana. This eclipse will be experienced in Northern Uganda (Apoka in Kidepo National Park) and Murchison Falls National Park. This eclipse of November 3rd is a Hybrid Eclipse which means that along the central section of the path it will be a very short total eclipse while at the beginning of the path there will be an annular eclipse. Hence the unofficial term "hybrid" being associated with this very special type of eclipse. The reason is that the darkest shadow of the moon doesn't quite reach the surface at those locations. Such a narrow and abrupt eclipse will come with a prominent presentation of the colorful Sinner most atmospheric layer of the Sun (the chromospheres) and a spectacular view along the axis of the Moon’s shadow. Satellite and surface measurements indicate that the weather prospect in northern Uganda and Kenya is the best along the entire 2013 eclipse track.

Murchison Falls Gains to Double

Revenue generated from Murchison Falls National Park is expected to double, the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) has said.

This projection is based on the aggressive marketing, development of new tourist attractions and the ongoing expedition led by Julian Fisher of the Royal Geographical Society. UWA executive director said during the 2011-2012 financial year, Murchison Falls National Park collected sh6.8b in revenue. "After 150 years, David Baker and his daughter Melanie are retracing the footsteps of their great grandfather, Sir Samuel Baker," said Seguya. "Fortunately, with the skills of the National Geographic Society and modern technology, we have been able to locate the exact spot where Baker stood the first time he saw Lake Albert," he added.

Addressing journalists at Paraa Sarova Safari Lodge last week, Fisher said: "People want responsible tourism in this century. I have traced Sir Samuel Baker's footsteps from Egypt through Sudan and finally to Uganda now." David Baker expressed awe as he admired the panoramic landscapes, listened to the waterfalls and bird songs at the lodge. "A lot has changed since my great grandfather first set foot here," said David.

"I was stunned when I went to Fort Patiko, where he fought slave trade. Using a mobile phone, my 98-year-old mother talked to the Acholi chief (Rwot). He has given me a blow horn to take to her as a gift!" he added. For two hours, David and Melanie climbed rocky outcrops, snuggled through forests and hopped over seasonal rivers to retrace their ancestor's footsteps. David said: "This is a new historical tourist attraction to add onto other products that have been developed in existing protected areas." "This is the only way we will have tourists staying longer, spending more money while here and have them so impressed that they will come again or recommend Uganda as a destination," he added.

Uganda’s New Tourism Law Gives Tougher Fines to Poachers to Get Tougher Fines

Following the review of the Wildlife policy for which consultations were concluded last year, Uganda intends to clear any grey areas in the wildlife legislation by moving to amend the 1996 Wildlife Act.

Among the proposed amendments in the draft, which was recently up for consultations at Grand Imperial hotel, is the issue of poaching and trading in wildlife products whose penalties - both fines and jail sentence - have been revised and made more punitive. For example, if you are caught hunting an elephant, the minimum you can pay - with the draft act - is Shs 200m plus ten years in prison. Yet previously it was at the discretion of the judge to decide the penalty. For businesspeople caught illegally trading in wildlife products, the fine shall not be less than the value of the products. Also, any other items such as a vehicle, gun, aircraft, or boat that one is caught with while carrying out the crime will be handed over to the government.

"We are also providing, under the amendment, that government will regularly publish in the gazette a list of wildlife species according to their conservation status so that if you are trading in elephants which is endangered, you shouldn't face the same penalty with someone who is trading in butterflies, where we have so many or someone trading in cockroaches," he said.

Previously, poachers and smugglers have been walking away with paltry fines, with some of the rulings raising eyebrows. For example, once a man who killed a gorilla was fined Shs 50,000. And recently, a trader who was caught with pangolin scales worth Shs 300m was fined Shs 200,000 at the Makindye Magistrate's court, where also the scales disappeared.

"We have raised the threshold for all existing offences. We want to see how these criminals will walk free,"

Oil and Gas

The draft has updated the law to take care of the emerging challenge of oil and gas activities in protected areas. At least 31 oil wells are found within protected areas.

"We are putting in place a provision, which requires that activities of oil and gas must recognize first of all the sensitive habitats and breeding areas for wildlife conservation, and must follow Environment Impact Assessment as provided by National Environment Management act." The current 1999 wildlife policy, which is under review, does not allow mining in protected areas, an anomaly that the new act seeks to regularise.

"We are creating a provision that harmonizes the activities of oil and gas together with wildlife conservation because when the law was made, oil and gas wasn't an issue. So, we are providing for coexisting of sustainable wildlife conservation and extraction of oil," said James Lutalo, the Commissioner, Wildlife Conservation, ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, who is heading the review of the act.

"Oil has come and it will have to be extracted. What we want is to minimize the damage it will cause. We are legalizing it so that activities can take place in a legal framework," he added.

Management

The draft bill also seeks to harmonize the supervision of the sector. The intention is to spell out each one's role, including that of the minister. Some conservationists are worried that the draft bill has given a lot of powers to the minister. For example, the power to run the wildlife fund, which has been under the UWA executive director, has now been transferred to the board of trustees.

This board answers to the minister. Conservationists are worried that the minister might abuse his/her powers.

Not strong enough?

There are some who feel that the draft is not comprehensive enough. Dr Arthur Mugisha, the country representative Flora and Fauna International, says: "There is no major input in terms of looking at the challenges of the country for the wildlife and looking for appropriate legislation to address those challenges. What causes poaching? The land is becoming smaller and smaller. We need new strategies, policies and legislation."

Dr Andrew Seguya, the UWA executive director, says whereas UWA has rights over management of wildlife outside protected areas, it has no say in the land use within those areas. Yet land use is important because these are the habitats of the wildlife.

"These are very crucial things that have to be captured. How are we going to manage wildlife outside protected areas if we have no say in the land use, in the management of the wetlands, or the management of forests where wildlife is?"

Big Spender Tourists

Rwanda will this year market its tourist attractions to Russia and China in a new strategy that is expected to woo more leisure tourists to boost the East African country's tourism revenue.

The move follows the passing of a new tourism marketing strategy last year, which aims at helping the country to target potential markets and consolidate marketing efforts in the existing markets with the view to increase high-end tourists.

Rica Rwigamba, the Head of Tourism and Conservation Directorate at the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) which is charged with fast-tracking Rwanda's economic development says that the country seeks to continue increasing the number of foreign leisure tourists who contribute at least 40% of the country's revenue collected from the tourism sector. Mountain gorillas in North West of Rwanda remain the major attraction to most western leisure tourists.

"This year we passed a new tourism marketing strategy and we have identified the need not only to diversify our products but also approaching new markets. Two main markets that we have identified are Russia and China because there are people who have the capacity to travel more and spend more money," Rwigamba said in December 2012.

She says that Rwanda will in 2013 have representatives in the two countries who will particularly be dealing with the markets there.

"We are targeting specialised tourism companies into these markets because they will be able to go and target tourists. We expect them to increase the number of tour operators as well," Rwigamba further explained.

Russia and China are increasingly becoming sources of both high-end leisure tourists and also mass tourists because of the increasing wealth among their populations and also their thirsty to explore new destinations like Africa.

However, Rwigamba added that more efforts will continue to be invested in retaining and developing the existing markets such as the United States, United Kingdom, Belgium and Germany to continue boosting the number of high-spenders from these markets.

More specifically, Rwanda is focusing much on exploiting the Germany and UK tourism markets. Germany continues to be the big spender in Europe whereas UK has developed deep interest and connection with Rwanda which provides a huge potential for Rwanda's tourism sector. But the number of tourists coming from the two countries to Rwanda is still small.

Currently, there are direct flights between Rwanda and some European countries such as Netherlands through KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Belgium through Brussels Airlines and Turkey through the Turkish Airlines.

Rwigamba says that Rwanda will continue to take advantage of these airlines and some European tourists that have developed deep knowledge on the Rwandan tourism market offers as an outstanding advantage for the country to attract more European visitors.

Tourism continues to be Rwanda's leading foreign exchange earner outpacing other export oriented sectors such as coffee, tea and mining in terms of revenue. This year alone, according to the National Export Strategy (NES), tourism revenue is expected to be US$261 million.

But between Jan. and Sept. 2012, RDB says that tourism revenue rose to US$210.5 million, representing an increase of 14% compared to the same period in 2011. The number of visitors also grew by 28% to 800,122 compared the same period in 2011.

Visitors from member states of the East African Community (EAC) and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) rose 34% to 639,536 while international visitors rose 4% to 130,586.

However, visitors from what RDB calls key markets such as the U.S. UK. Belgium and Germany are still few in numbers but they are considered big spenders.

RDB's statistics show that the number of Americans who visited Rwanda was higher than that of other individual countries considered as key markets.

At least 18,459 Americans visited Rwanda followed by 10,126 British, 7,675 Belgians and 7,103 Germans. Overall, leisure attracted 70,383 visitors while business attracted 295,322. Leisure visitors rose 19% while business visitors rose 17%.

Tourism bill

Currently, the tourism sector is not regulated by anyone. Whoever has an idea to start a hotel, restaurant and bar or a tour and travel company starts it without a check whether the facility or company meets all the requirements to operate.

However, a legislation that will help to regulate the sector is underway. Rwigamba says that 2013 will see the tourism bill passed and the sector will then have to be regulated afterwards.

"With the tourism Bill, it will be clear in terms of regulating the sector," Rwigamba said, adding that the once the Bill is passed into a law, it will help to set licensing requirements, therefore creating positive impact on the sector especially on the quality of service.

The Bill provides charging of a training levy from the tourism players which will help to build the capacity of the staff in various disciplines but mainly on service delivery. It also provides a timeframe for the existing players to abide by the law once it is in place.

New animal species

This year, Rwigamba says that in order to increase products, the focus has been set on tea tours in Gisovu, and cave tourism.

Also, towards end of the year, a new animal specie will be stocked in the Akagera National park in the east of the country. The animal's name has however been made a secret.

The savanna park, which is home to giraffe, zebras, various bird species, buffalos, elephants and many other animal species, is currently being fenced with the target to complete the exercise in February.

The electric fence is expected to reduce the persistent conflicts between the animals that go outside the park and the people that live around it. Animals have continued to be blamed for destroying crops and killing people while people are also blamed for killing them.

Investments

Tourism emerged the highly attractive sector in terms of investment after recording new investment projects worth US$327 million between as of December 19, 2012. These will create at least 2,042 new jobs once they are implemented.

Rwigamba says Rwanda will continue to attract investments in the tourism sector. In this regard, she says that international hotel brands will be sensitised to open up accommodation facilities in the country. Already, some have started while others have shown commitment.

The Kigali Marriot Hotel will be unveiled this year. The U.S. based Marriot Hotel Group has a contract with Chinese and Rwandan five star hotel owners to manage it for over 20 years. Another brand, Radisson Hotels, will also manage a five star hotel that is currently under construction at the upcoming Kigali Convention Center. Hilton has also promised to open a hotel in Rwanda.

Rwigamba says that more local investors will be sensitised to allow international hotel management groups to take over management of their hotels in order to improve on service and brand building for higher returns.