Ugandan importers gain from fall in Kenyan shilling.

Bloody clashes in the first two months of 2008 and a disputed election in Kenya contributed to a decline in Kenya's tourism earnings. Kenya’s tourism earnings dropped by 32 percent in the first half of this year due to post-election violence which led to massive cancellations of bookings by visitors.

With most of the world’s currencies driven by their central value against the dollar, the Kenyan shilling’s slide against the dollar has seen it lose ground against every currency that is holding its dollar value, including that of its biggest export market, Uganda.

The Ugandan shilling, supported by buoyant dollar-denominated aid flows, is suddenly looking a lot more valuable compared with the Kenyan currency.

While a Kenyan shilling in April would buy 27 Ugandan shillings, today it buys just 23, a tumble of some 15 per cent.
The cause, say traders, is the Kenyan shillings retreat against the dollar, while the Ugandan shilling has held its dollar ground: thus the two now buy different amounts in the world, even though Kenya’s exports to Uganda have been robust, after the first quarter setback.

For Kenyan exporters, the depreciation against the Ugandan shilling comes at a hard moment. Kenya supplies many of Uganda’s manufactured goods and particularly those made from oil. This means that Kenyan producers are being hit in the marketplace from two sides. Just as they are being squeezed on one side by rising oil prices, they have to take a beating of lower revenues in their biggest export market.

This latest impact of the decline in foreign exchange earnings highlights the potential scale of secondary impact from the knock-out of an important export earner such as tourism, even as the industry gears itself back up, with bookings returning and money moving once again.

“There is now real demand for the greenback as opposed to speculative positions that people took at the beginning of the year,” says Brian Muigai, a senior dealer at NIC Bank.

On the dollar front, currency dealers say that a huge demand of the greenback against tight supply has been the driving factor behind the weakening of the Kenyan shilling.

Most of the demand is coming from the telecommunications and energy sectors as well as the large number of non-governmental and humanitarian organizations based in the country.

Dealers say that while dollar supply – mainly from horticulture, tourism, tea and coffee – has remained constant, demand for the greenback has been rising steadily.

Remittances from Kenyans living in the Diaspora have however picked up in the past few months, mitigating the full impact of declining dollar inflows from traditional sources such coffee and tea.

Dollar inflows from the Diaspora stood at $329 million for the first half of this year compared to $257 million in the first six months of 2007.

Pairs of non-US dollar currencies such as the Kenya and Ugandan Shilling are called “crosses.” One foreign currency is traded for another without having to first exchange the currencies into American dollars.  

Ordinarily, an individual who wished to exchange a sum of money into a different currency would be required to convert it into US dollars, and then reconvert into the desired currency. Cross currencies help traders bypass this step.

But for non-US dollar currencies that lack crosses, a conversion to US dollars is required to work out the exchange rate.
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Uganda’s oldest Chimpanzee, Zakayo turns 44

Growing up i remember going to the then Entebbe Zoo, which has now been transformed into the Uganda Wildlife Education Center. The main attraction then was and still is Zakayo, a male chimpanzee whose name is probably more well known among the younger generation in Uganda than many people's names. This Chimpanzee which was brought to the zoo in 1976 turned 44 years old early this month. To mark this great occasion the Uganada Wildlife Education Centre hosted the public to celebrate this old grandpa's birthday party on Friday 15th of August. One would have thought it was a politician or some big shot who was celebrating his birthday party.

According to the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre press release, Zakayo is one of the main attractions at the Conservation centre and his birthday deserved to be recognized together with a number of activities and the public needed to be invited. In the past this celebration involved the public mainly schools that came in bus loads and involves answering questions especially in connection to wildlife conservation, quiz and other competitions during the celebration.

Zakayo was rescued from Semliki in Bundibungyo district in june 1972 and was raised by hand. It is said to be very fatherly to the rest of the chimpanzees in the education centre going out and coming in the morning and evenings respectively. Zakayo has sired 8 chimpanzees since his arrival at the centre.

The Education centre officials urged the public to continue supporting tourism which has was the second highest income earner to the country in 2007.

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The Mpanga Cycad plants

The cycads plants in the area surrounding the Mpanga falls may soon be no more despite their environmental values and the income it generates for the communities around from the tourists and botanist who visit the region. The government of Uganda wishes uses these falls to generate the much need electricity for the development of the country with the help of the South Asia Energy Management Systems. However, environmentalists like Achilles Byaruhanga argue that the destruction of the cycad plants is in contravention of the Convention on Biological Diversity. On the other hand protagonists of the proposed development argue that the economical development that will accompany the development of the 18 Mega Watts hydro power plant far surpasses the need to conserve the area and the cycads plants and the falls and the “paltry” income the Banyaruguru and communities around are getting from the tourism. Achilles Byaruhanga argues that the destruction of these 200-300 year old trees is not worth the construction of the power plant. The cycad plants have been described as the “dinosaurs of Uganda” by many conservationists and tourists around the world.
This is indeed a catch-22 for both developers and conservationists not only in Uganda but around the world. Development without a good conservation program is a definite way to a country to loss out in the end, since there will be no way to ensure continuity of what has been achieved.

The protagonists argue that 200-300 year old plants mean nothing to the poor communities in which they are found. However, if we continue to destroy all that is around us with no regard for environmental impacts that will result we are only shooting ourselves in the foot. It is not any different from bandaging a wound without cleaning it and a not thinking about its proper healing, it will only lead to gangrene.

On the other hand we have to look at ways of fostering development while thinking about the future generations rather than looking at short term goals which are sure to leave us playing catch-up and trying to remedy the situation.

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Rebels Hampering Gorilla Conservation in The Congo

Mountain gorillas are an endangered species with just over 750 left in the wilds of the region bordering Uganda, Congo and Rwanda. These 3 countries have greatly tried to increase conservation efforts to protect these primates, however, the Democratic Republic of Congo's efforts are being hampered by the take over of the Virunga national park since september last year. This is home of approximately half of the mountain gorilla population left in the wild.

Early this month a group of the Mai Mai rebels set ambush on a vehicle carrying conservationists killing 2 and wounding three. This on the heels of the murder of 5 mountain gorillas last year. This a very huge number of gorillas considering their population. These rebels do not only kill these mountain gorillas but have also started taking naive tourists gorilla tracking. This is not only financing the rebels but also paying the very same people who kill these primates for meat. Besides they do not follow the rules associated with gorilla tracking tours.

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Mountain Gorilla Tracking Tours and Human Contacts

Mountain gorillas are an endangered species of primates. These primates live in close knit family groups. These mountain gorilla family groups are only found in the three countries of Uganda, Rwanda and the DRC ( Democratic Republic of Congo ). There’s one of the last surviving families in Rwanda called the Amahoro which means Peace in the English language. In this family there’s a mountain gorilla named Ghahinga which has the habit of sneaking up on those doing gorilla tracking ( gorilla tours ) and pulling their sleeves or even pinching them. Weird as this might sound, people doing gorilla tracking safaris are not allowed to go within 15m (some 7m depending on where you are doing the tracking ) of these endangered mountain gorilla species for fear of making the gorillas catch a human communicable disease. It is however clear from these experiences that some of the rangers are not adhering to these park rules and are allowing contact between humans and gorillas.
These mountain gorillas in Rwanda are found in the misty shrouded mountains of the Virunga straddling the borders of Rwanda, Uganda and Congo. The game rangers help tourist track these mountain gorillas whose movements are very unpredictable and may cross over from any one of these three countries into another. Unlike humans, gorillas don’t need passports to cross from one country to another. This depending on which family and where you are tracking can be very frustrating especially if the rangers in other country deny you the permission to track in their country.
For those of you who might be wondering how a gorilla in the wild can have a name, in Rwanda gorilla naming has been turned into a world renown conservation event to raise awareness about the plight of these endangered primate species who share over 90% of our genes. This year’s conference, namely Kwita Izina was held on 1st July with a concert by Oliver Ngoma an International music artist to raise funds for the conservation of these mountain gorillas. The naming of these mountain gorillas is to help in tracking individual gorillas as sometimes these apes fall prey to some selfish poachers wishing to make a quick buck. It is obvious that much as the communities surrounding these conservation areas that have been turned into habitats for the gorillas, there are those who have never appreciated the importance of conserving these great apes for future generations.
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THE KENYAN MAASAI MARKET.

AFRICAS LARGEST MARKET (BY TRONY V.INGATI

Growing up as young girl in Kenya, I thought it good to be able to acquire little pieces of handy-crafts that I could call my own. Bangles, black dolls, rings, anklets, weaved baskets, a parrot house and so forth.
To me these things expressed the African way of life and failure to have them meant that I was not such a happy girl at the end of the day. In order to keep this feel good attitude, my mother took me to trips across Africa to get whatever it is that would make me happy.
But of all the African countries that I visited none seemed to be resourceful as the Massai Market, (Africa’s largest handy-craft market.)
The Maasai market is situated in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi. Operating three times a week, in different locations (Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday). It provides a good shopping experience for anyone who wants to get everything African.
Carvings of all sorts can be found in this place. Long legged giraffes and Maasai morans (Warriors) carvings fly whisks, crockery, cutlery, and pottery, thousands of batiks to pick form, jewelry and antiques. Whatever it is you are looking for you will find in this market.
An interesting aspect that I have discovered is that every time I spent shopping with my mother in the market for accessories there were always new designs that would make me stand in awe while shopping. So every time you shop you are bound to find something new again and again.
As for other small curio shops you are not unlikely to find plenty of versatility. The creations maybe well selected but not an adequate variety to pick from when it comes to making a choice that will make you fully satisfied at the end of the day.
When looking for good bargains in the Maasai markets, it would do you good to look through very carefully. Get the personal contact of the dealer or the maker of what you are buying, in case you need more supply, a repair on damaged goods and so forth.
The Maasai market traders are very friendly and it will be easy to communicate with them as you carry out with your purchases. However be very careful not to let your friendly nature take toll for they might end up selling their curios at a high price that might not be very pleasing to you as a tourist. If you happen to visit the Maasai market with a local guide and have difficulty throughout your communication while trying to buy something you like, you could ask for assistance from the guide and have them negotiate a good price for you.
Once in the Maasai market grub all you can for it is bountiful with Africa’s finest handy-works. The ‘A Must Buy’ would be the sandals. With a wide variety to pick from you will find yourself getting accustomed to the Kenyan way of life. The fabric painted batiks is another in the category hence worth retaining. Mostly, colorful and well painted they will be great looking on a frame up your wall when you return back home.
It has been years and indeed my mind has eaten up enough dust all around in my travels through Africa. No matter where I go or how far I am from home (Kenya) nothing beats the inspiration for creative hands in artistry of sorts that tends to fill me up to completeness with the variety that the Maasai market offers.
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Ugandan's The Happiest In East Africa

When one asks you where or not you are happy, what would you reply be? I guess that would depend on a number of factors, imagined or real. A recent study done by the University of Michigan's institute of Social Research in over 91 countries uncovered a number of startling revelations although others were obvious.
In this global survey, it was discovered that in more open societies where the powers that be allowed their citizenry to make free choices regarding life, the people were happier.
This was the case with Uganda, where its citizens were found to be more happier than those within the East African region. It was found that on a 1-10 scales, Ugandans scored 5.1 (0.69 ) coming in at position 70 where as Tanzania scored 0.13 at position 78, Rwanda 0.31 at position 81.
This is a statistic that many Ugandans will agree with given that a close survey of the life of most people especially in the urban areas will reveal that Ugandans, especially the fairly well to do middle class are given to "going out" a lot. There are huge number of night clubs, bars and restaurants. In fact in Kampala city all the roads leading out of the city center into the suburbs are lined with bars, with an average of 100m from one another. Bars and restaurants are a thriving business in the country. This is evident in the increase in weight by most Uganda's especially the younger generation.
Psychologists though state that happiness is a state of the mind and is not so much related to how much wealth one has. It is argued that there are those with huge sums of money who are not happy at all. Where as there are those that are broke and quite happy.
Dr Ronald Inglehart who conducted the study shows that there are more happy people in the world today than a decade or so back. He also said the increased happiness is not due to increased wealth.
This study points out Denmark as the happiest nation in the world, with Zimbabwe coming in on the other end. A fact that is evidently due to the political climate in the country at the moment.
This increase in political freedom though still wanting in some respects has led to an increase in the number of tourists coming to Uganda, despite the fact that it is a landlocked country.
Uganda has also seen an increase in the number of international conferences the hugest being CHOGM, the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting held in 2007, and more recently the IOC the International Islamic Organisation Conference.
Dr Inglehart said that the results prove that it is societies that have and practice the freedom of choice that are the happiest.

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