Precision Air now offers direct Nairobi - Mwanza fligths

From eTurbo News, Haleiwa, HI, United States

The privately-owned and largest Tanzanian airline will, at the beginning of July, commence scheduled flights from Nairobi to Mwanza, initially four times a week, using their proven ATR aircraft on the route.

This will be good news for Mwanza residents who can now easily connect nonstop to Nairobi and then fly on to elsewhere in the region, across the continent to Europe and Asia, choosing from a wide range of airlines now frequenting Nairobi. The flights will operate on Monday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Tourist visitors may also be pleased about the new connections, as Mwanza puts the Grumeti sector of the Serengeti within easy reach by vehicle, opening up new routings and safari circuits.

U.S.-built Ferry Sets Sail for Africa

From Christian News Wire, Washington DC, United States
By Rob Smith


Thain Boatworks and EarthWise Ventures, Inc. will be shipping the first Thain Containerizable Ferry from Everett to Uganda the final week of July. According to Robert Smith, U.S.A CEO of EarthWise Ventures and President of Thain Boatworks, "The shipping of this vessel is the first step in fulfilling the Earthwise dream of rebuilding African infrastructure through for-profit, private investment."

Just shy of 65', the twin-hulled vessel is made of fiberglass-clad wood, and is designed to be disassembled and shipped in standard containers, to be reassembled in Uganda by a team comprised of Americans and Africans. Eventually, Thain BoatWorks plans to conduct most of its ferry production in a Ugandan-based factory, thus adding jobs and revenue to the Ugandan economy. The ferry is designed for passenger traffic, and is expected to carry between 150 and 200 passengers between various destinations on Lake Victoria. It is the first in a fleet that is expected to grow to at least 10 vessels over the next 10 years.

The first planned route will travel between Port Bell, Uganda, and Mwanza, Tanzania, a 185-mile cross-lake run. The ship is designed to be fast, covering the distance in approximately 8 hours time, 11 hours less than when the route was last served in 1996. Presently, the only way to travel between these destinations is an arduous 1- to 2-day bus trip over extremely poor roads.

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Yogurt probiotics help restore gut health in HIV patients

From Examiner, Colorado, United States
By Danielle Jones, Colorado HIV and AIDS Examiner

In the June issue of Nature Medicine is a news feature which describes a pilot project called Western Heads East (WHE) based out of the University of Western Ontario in Canada.

This project takes place in Mwanza, Tanzania, a Sub-Saharan east African country bordered by the Indian Ocean, Kenya, Uganda and Zambia. The country of Tanzania saw its first cases of HIV/AIDS in 1983 and today there are approximately 1.4 million people living with the disease.

The WHE project was established in 2004 and sends university students to remote communities each year to teach the local women how to make yogurt with scientifically developed probiotics.

The program serves two purposes; first it empowers the women of the community, known as “yogurt mamas”, by enabling them to provide economically for their families and second it provides extra nutrition to the community, especially for those infected with HIV.

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Entrepreneurs to access Sh13m from 2 schemes

From The Citizen, Dar es Salaam
By The Citizen reporter

Local entrepreneurs are set to benefit from grants of over $10 million (Sh13 billion).

The Tanzania Private Sector Foundation (TFSP) is undertaking two programmes 'the National Business Plan Competition (BPC) and the National Business Diagnosis Programme (BDP' to enable entrepreneurs to access the funds.

"The grants will enable them to expand and improve their businesses," notes a statement by Zain Tanzania, one the sponsors of the programmes.

"Zain Tanzania is proud to be part of the initiative which aims at facilitating growth of businesses countrywide.

With sound businesses, local entrepreneurs will be able to contribute to their own development and the development of the economy," the company's corporate affairs manager, Ms Beatrice Singano, said.

So far, 310 entrepreneurs have received grants ranging from Sh1.2 million to Sh9 million each in Shinyanga, Rukwa, Mtwara, Mara, Mwanza, Ruvuma and Lindi. They won the money in BCP.

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Teams blast Kili awards

From The Citizen, Dar es Salaam
By The Citizen Reporter


Vijana City Bulls and Savio have come forward to blame organisers of the Regional Basketball Association (RBA) for delaying prizes.

Officials of both teams said the delay affected them adversely as they failed to feature in the recently ended National Basketball League (NBL).

Failure to compete in the NBL excluded them automatically from featuring in the forthcoming Union Basketball League.

Michael Mwita, who plays for Savio, said his club depended on the RBA cash prizes to travel to Mwanza for the NBL.

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Savouring the wilderness in Kilimanjaro

From The Sunday Monitor, Kampala, Uganda
By Robert Kalumba

Ever since Bin Laden introduced himself to this world in a despicable fashion on September 11, 2001, airport security has never been the same. Gone are the days when a casual tap-down as you chewed gum, was enough to get you through airport immigration.

Nowadays, it’s a serious matter and Tanzanian security showed me how “serious” it could get. The metal detector went…beep, beep… for the fifth time at Mwanza Airport. Fuming, I turned to the female police officer. “Do you want me to remove my undies too for you to check whether I could be having a metal object tied to my privates?” I asked her.

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Trader accused of asking for albino parts

From The Citizen, Dar es Salaam
By Bernard James, Shinyanga

A businessman was yesterday named as the customer who was to buy body parts chopped from an albino.

Mr Yusuf Ibrahim, of Arab extraction from Lamadi, Magu district in Mwanza, was to buy body parts chopped from an albino, it was alleged in court.

Former village executive officer at Nkwindwabiye village where the albino was brutally murdered, Mr Mayenga Matongo, 51, said this yesterday.

He told Justice Gadi Mjemas that the first accused, Mr Mboji Mawe, had told investigators that he and his co-accused were to sell the body part to the well-known businessman on his orders.

The shocking testimony emerged after a defence counsel, Mr Feran Kweka, asked the witness why the alleged "buyer" of a head and legs cut off from Lyaku Willy was not among the accused despite being named.

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Precision Air Plans Nairobi - Mwanza Flights

From The East African, Dar es Salaam

Precision Air is set to start direct flight services between Mwanza and Nairobi effective next month.

Precision is the only airline that currently offers the most connections to all major towns in Tanzania and is the only operator in the country to achieve IOSA - IATA operational safety audit standards.

Precision Air was ranked sixth in Africa and the second in the East African region after Kenya Airways by IOSA - IATA ratings.

Speaking to East African Business Week in Dar es Salaam last week, at the launching ceremony of its brand new ATR 72-500 series, Phil Mwakitawa, the airline's Marketing Director said Precision has inaugurated the direct route due to high demand from their customers.

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Mwanza advises shunning of donor designed programmes

From The Citizen, Dar es Salaam
By Paulina David in Mwanza

Residents of Mwanza region have urged the government to refrain from implementing imposed development programmes in a bid to please donors.

The comment was made during a meeting on Africa Peer Review Mechanism that it was high time the government implemented homegrown plans aimed at forging development for the citizens of the country.

Ms Celestina Nyega, an official with human rights non-governmental organisation popularly known as Kivulini in Kiswahili, said the government should make optimal use of a sufficient number of elites available in the country in devising development plans tailor-made for the country.

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Sh6m surgical beds donated to hospital

From The Citizen, Dar es Salaam
By Victor Karega

The National Bank of Commerce (NBC) has donated surgical beds worth Sh6 million to the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre (KCMC) in Moshi.

NBC Moshi branch manager Saad Mohamed said: "We believe these surgical beds will go a long way in improving KCMC's theatre services since many patients in and around Kilimanjaro Region depend on the hospital," he said. The donation is part of the bank's corporate social responsibility to support communities in health, education. KCMC executive director John Shao thanked NBC for its support.

Prof Shao said: "NBC has been supporting our hospital and we thank it." He said KCMC was known for providing good services to communities. He added that the NBC donation put KCMC in a better position to continue offering good health services.

The bank has donated more than Sh124 million to hospitals and other medical facilities in the communities it serves countrywide. KCMC is a referral hospital serving over 11 million people. It was established in 1971 by the Good Samaritan Foundation.

Meanwhile, Zain Tanzania has donated 50 desks and 100 chairs worth Sh1 million to Ibinza Secondary School in Mwanza. Zain managing director Khaled Muhtadi said the donation was made through in the company's 'Build Our Nation' programme which is aimed at providing teaching aid to secondary schools.

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Region hopefully on agriculture funds

From The Citizen, Dar es Salaam
By Bethuel Kinyori in Mwanza

Experts in Mwanza, have named five main sectors that the government needs to critically consider towards the budget 2009/2010.

The top sectors in decreasing order of importance that the government should allocate most funds to come 2009/2010 budget as agriculture, transport education, health, and tourism.

More emphasis needs to be placed in sectors that have been adversely or likely in the near future to be affected by the economic crisis like tourism and agriculture which when combined provide a livelihood for almost 80percent of Tanzanian labour force need to be cushioned by the upcoming budget.

If nothing is done towards this front the result would be more losses in sources of income and less revenues collections, the experts warned.

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18 teams ready for netball championship

From The Citizen, Dar es Salaam
By Jessca Nangawe

Eighteen teams have already confirmed to compete in the National Netball League scheduled to tee off on August 5 at CCM Kirumba courts in Mwanza.

Tanzania Netball Association (CHANETA) secretary general Anna Kibira, disclosed yesterday saying preparations for the weeklong tournament were underway countrywide.

Kibira said the move to stage the tournament in Mwanza is meant to revive netball in the lake zone.

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Tanesco requests Sh312 for electricity generation

From The Citizen, Dar es Salaam
By Beatus Kagashe

The Tanzania Electric Supply Company Limited (TANESCO), is in urgent need of Sh312 billion for generation of emergency power to ease looming power shortage across the country.

The State power utility firm has consequently requested the Government to allocate the funds in the 2009/2010 budget.

Finance minister Mustafa Mkulo, is expected reveal the budget estimates mid this month in Dodoma.

Tanesco managing director Dr Idris Rashid, said if the funds are released as requested, Tanesco would be able to have all planned major power plants up and running by June next year.

Speaking before the Parliamentary Committee on Energy and Minerals yesterday, Dr Rashid said funds requested include money to purchase generators for isolated areas, procurement of a 100MW gas powered plant at Ubungo and 60 MW heavy fuel oil generators for Mwanza.

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