travel news review

1 February '99
The flamingo population in Lake Nakuru National Park has decided to move again this year and the have taken up residence at Lake Bogoria National Reserve, some 90 km (56 mi) north of Nakuru. Recent rains in Kenya have increased the level of fresh water in Lake Nakuru, but as flamingos feed on blue-green algae which only grows in salty waters, they have moved to the still-salty Lake Bogoria. Currently there is estimated to be more than one million flamingos at Lake Bogoria, while the number at Lake Nakuru is around 20,000.

22 January '99
Scientists looking at ways of curbing the growing colubus population in Mombassa believe the only solution is to get those boy monkeys snipped. And they would snip them all if they could catch them. Since the campaign to give all male monkeys in the area a vasectomy commenced early in January, only one monkey has been caught. The monkeys, particularly yellow baboons and vervets, have been feeding on garbage around Mombassa and have become extremely healthy, allowing them to mate at a very early age and at an amazing rate. They also seem to target travellers in their search for food, with many found around tourist hotels and restaurants. Just ignore them if you can.

20 October '98
The United States Embassy in Kenya has recommenced limited consular services in Nairobi. The embassy is processing student and exchange programme visa applications until further notice at a new visa centre in the Nairobi suburb of Westlands. The embassy has also resumed passport, citizenship and other embassy services for US citizens living and travelling in Kenya.

The Nairobi embassy, as well as the US Embassy in Tanzania, was bombed on 7 August. In Nairobi, 139 people died in the blast, including 12 Americans. Four men - allegedly part of 'a decade-long conspiracy to kill Americans' - have been charged with 258 counts of murder related to the bombings and now face trial in New York.

9 October '98
Following the bombing of the US Embassy in Nairobi in August, the Department of State will shortly open a new visa service centre in the city. The centre in Westlands is expected to be operating by the end of the year and will provide visa and passport services. A new US Embassy is expected to be built in Nairobi but as yet a site has not been announced. At the moment the Embassy is located at the USAID Building in Parklands, but only emergency consular services are available until the new visa centre opens.

21 September '98
In early 1999 the German national airline, Lufthansa, will suspend passenger flights from Nairobi to Germany. The airline will withdraw passenger services from 25 March after operating a service to Nairobi for the past 36 years.

31 August '98
All non-emergency consular services, mainly immigration and visa services, at the United Stated Embassy in Nairobi have been suspended. The suspension of services is a result of increased security measure by the United States following the bombing of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania on August 7. The United States embassies in Ghana and Togo have also closed in the past week for security reasons. The embassies in Somalia, Sudan, Republic of Congo-Brazzaville, Democratic Republic of Congo and Guinea-Bissau remain closed.

12 August '98
Major bomb blasts occurred outside the United States Embassies in Nairobi and Dar Es Salaam on 7 August, causing extensive damage and many deaths and casualties. Major disruption has been reported from both cities and travellers should avoid the areas of the blasts while emergency work continues. At this stage, the risk of a repeat blast appears low and travellers do not need to alter their plans.

8 July '98
Kenya Airways has begun air services between Mumbai and Lagos, the capital of Nigeria. The flights to Lagos are via Nairobi and will operate on Sundays and Wednesdays. The return economy fare is Rs 52,735 (US$ 1230) plus Rs 500 Mumbai airport tax (US$11.00). A one-way fare to Lagos is Rs 29,515 (US$692) plus the airport tax.

1 July '98
There should be some cheap sleeps in Kenya at the moment as hotels try to attract more local and foreign tourists. Hotels, particularly around the coastal town of Mombassa, are cutting rates by up to 75% to attract tourists. Political unrest in Kenya last year resulted in tourists avoiding Kenya in favour of other African destinations like South Africa and Zimbabwe.

3 May '98
The Rift Valley's drastically dry lakes have been nicely topped up by recent floods in the area. Flamingoes have returned to Lake Nakuru for the second year running and the rain has also improved grasslands in Kenya's safari parks.

25 March '98
Travellers to Kenya are advised to take extra malaria precautions following an increase in reported cases. In Bombet, Samburu and Mt Elgon more than 300 malaria-related deaths have been reported in the last two weeks. Although malaria exists in most parts of Kenya, these northern areas have not usually been considered high risk.

Kenyan Airways will ban smoking on all flights from 1 April. Currently 50% of the airlineÆs flights are smoke free.

18 February '98
An outbreak of malaria has caused over 1500 deaths in the Wajir district. The death toll is climbing daily as the epidemic continues to spread throughout the north-eastern desert area. The malaria strain is said to be severe and resistant to almost all drugs usually used as treatment. An acute shortage of the necessary drugs, a lack of insecticides and widespread starvation have intensified the situation, as have the recent cholera outbreak and the destruction caused by floods blamed on the El Nino.

11 February '98
Health authorities in Kenya advise that a cholera vaccination is not a requirement for entry into Kenya. Despite a number of cholera outbreaks in East Africa since mid-1997, authorities in Kenya are following World Health Authority guidelines, which do not recommend cholera vaccinations. The statement from Ministry of Health comes after a number of travellers in Uganda were told by the Kenyan Embassy in Kampala that cholera vaccinations were compulsory for travel to Kenya.

4 February '98
Kenya's Tourist Board plans to spend more than $1.5 million in a campaign to reassure tourists Kenya is a safe country. Violent demonstrations and political protests last year resulted in a major tourism slump, with tourism arrivals in Kenya down 23% over the previous year’s figures. Hardest hit by the civil unrest were the game parks, which rely entirely on tourism to cover costs. Visits to game parks were down more that 60% in the second half of 1997. Kenya Wildlife Service is currently looking at cost-cutting measures in the game parks, which the Service assures will not involve any threat to wildlife.

28 January '98
Outbreaks of cholera have been reported in Nairobi and in the Garissa region in north-eastern Kenya. More than 200 people have been admitted to hospital suffering from the disease. Authorities believe the increase in the numbers of cholera cases may in part be due to increased movement of people around Kenya during the December elections. Travellers in Kenya are advised to take extra health precautions.

21 January '98
Health authorities in Kenya and Somalia have issued a warning to travellers to take extra health precautions if their plans include travel in the Rift Valley. Travellers are recommended to take extra precautions against mosquitos following a serious outbreak of the Rift Valley Fever. More than 300 people in Kenya and Somalia have died in recent weeks from the disease, which is spread from livestock to humans via mosquitos. There is no vaccine available against the disease.