Uganda faults Kenya, Rwanda on EAC tourist visa

[jMali]

Uganda has failed to reap benefits from the single East African tourist visa system introduced in February 2014, Tourism Minister, Maria Mutagamba says.

According to Mutagamba, the number of tourists visiting Uganda has dropped since the single East African tourists visa system was introduced because Kenya and Rwanda have not honoured the agreement signed by the three countries.

“That is a problem. In fact it is causing me a crisis…We agreed as the East African countries that we are going to have one common visa at $100. You pay that and enter all the three East African countries – Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya.

Unfortunately, for us we embraced it wholeheartedly, but our brothers and sisters in the two countries while they introduced the East African visa, they also maintained their local tourist visa. So if a tourist going to Kenya, I have an offer touring Kenya and I have an offer of $100 touring Kenya and whatever, I will stop in Kenya”, Mutagamba said.

The single tourist visa is a multi-entry visa costs $100 and grants a tourist a 90-day validity period to tour any of three of the five East African countries.

Tourists at a chimpanzee sanctuary at Ngamba island in Uganda

Mutagamba says that since Kenya and Rwanda broke the agreement under which the visa was formulated, Uganda is also planning to re-introduce a local tourist visa.

“The tourism sector is agitated. They say; ‘we must have our own tourism visa as Uganda’ so that we can also get our tourists coming here directly until we all agree that we are going to have one [tourist visa]…I hope I will be able to meet the prime minister because they are very very much upset about that.

All tourists are going to other countries and we are getting less of them. Because of that unfulfilled or ununderstood arrangement that we entered in. Otherwise, as Uganda, we have actually been remitting our funds religiously and the other countries are remitting less and the explanation is: they are selling their visas and not the East African visa”, Mutagamba added.

According to the 2014/15 Auditor General’s report, Uganda Wildlife Authority reported total revenue of Shs 42.7 billion in the statement of comprehensive income compared to Shs 56 billion realised in the year 2013/14.

The report says the Authority posted a deficit of Shs 12.6 billion as opposed to a surplus of Shs 3.72 billion in the previous year. According to Mutagamba, reduction in foreign tourists is one of the reasons for the drop in revenues.

Uganda faults Kenya, Rwanda on EAC tourist visa

 

[Quickly]

I would not advise the waziri not to make such a move. The UWA should consider introducing NEW tourist products. E.g The Kenya tourist board has introduced the Tembea Kenya and #KenyaLive initiatives of which am dying to see their end of year report on both. Build local tourism. The rich nations have fantastic local tourism. Who says Ugandans cant tour their own country- it will help build national cohesion.
I have been to Kampala before and always wondered whether they have an animal orphanage and Safari Walk like the one at KWS HQ in Nairobi. That is a serious money spinner...A tourist must not be a muzungu only, see how kenyans toured TZ this past holiday season.

 

[Geza Ulole]

I would not advise the waziri not to make such a move. The UWA should consider introducing NEW tourist products. E.g The Kenya tourist board has introduced the Tembea Kenya and #KenyaLive initiatives of which am dying to see their end of year report on both. Build local tourism. The rich nations have fantastic local tourism. Who says Ugandans cant tour their own country- it will help build national cohesion.
I have been to Kampala before and always wondered whether they have an animal orphanage and Safari Walk like the one at KWS HQ in Nairobi. That is a serious money spinner...A tourist must not be a muzungu only, see how kenyans toured TZ this past holiday season.

seems all COW moves to isolate Tanzania r failing, from pipeline to Lamu n to now regional one visa for tourism! When we said Tanzania is the father n mother of EAC u urged! I hope now the COW Plotters know who is the big dad!

 

[Kamanda wa Kweli]

seems all COW moves to isolate Tanzania r failing, from pipeline to Lamu n to now regional one visa for tourism! When we said Tanzania is the father n mother of EAC u urged! I hope now the COW Plotters know who is the big dad!

Hahaha....may be...you said it all

 

[blessings]

Uganda has more to offer than some of the EAC members (i.e Burundi & Rwanda), for instance; Eastern and Central flagship university, Makerere (est in 1922) could attract thousands of tourists from across the region and beyond. Leave alone Uganda Martyrs shrine, Kabaka residence etc. But i advise you better concentrate on removing that GENTLEMAN from power first then you vote in " Uganda's MAGUFULI" for a country to come up with new and sound economic plans to boost country's revenue.

 

[Quickly]

seems all COW moves to isolate Tanzania r failing, from pipeline to Lamu n to now regional one visa for tourism! When we said Tanzania is the father n mother of EAC u urged! I hope now the COW Plotters know who is the big dad!

Which is better: To be Cinderella(pretty and gets the job done) or one of the ugly sisters(loud and gets nothing done)?

 

[mchambawima1]

Written by URN
Created: 26 January 2016

Uganda has failed to reap benefits from the single East African tourist visa system introduced in February 2014, Tourism Minister, Maria Mutagamba says.

According to Mutagamba, the number of tourists visiting Uganda has dropped since the single East African tourists visa system was introduced because Kenya and Rwanda have not honoured the agreement signed by the three countries.

“That is a problem. In fact it is causing me a crisis…We agreed as the East African countries that we are going to have one common visa at $100. You pay that and enter all the three East African countries – Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya.

Unfortunately, for us we embraced it wholeheartedly, but our brothers and sisters in the two countries while they introduced the East African visa, they also maintained their local tourist visa. So if a tourist going to Kenya, I have an offer touring Kenya and I have an offer of $100 touring Kenya and whatever, I will stop in Kenya”, Mutagamba said.

The single tourist visa is a multi-entry visa costs $100 and grants a tourist a 90-day validity period to tour any of three of the five East African countries.

Tourists at a chimpanzee sanctuary at Ngamba island in Uganda

Mutagamba says that since Kenya and Rwanda broke the agreement under which the visa was formulated, Uganda is also planning to re-introduce a local tourist visa.

“The tourism sector is agitated. They say; ‘we must have our own tourism visa as Uganda’ so that we can also get our tourists coming here directly until we all agree that we are going to have one [tourist visa]…I hope I will be able to meet the prime minister because they are very very much upset about that.

All tourists are going to other countries and we are getting less of them. Because of that unfulfilled or ununderstood arrangement that we entered in. Otherwise, as Uganda, we have actually been remitting our funds religiously and the other countries are remitting less and the explanation is: they are selling their visas and not the East African visa”, Mutagamba added.

According to the 2014/15 Auditor General’s report, Uganda Wildlife Authority reported total revenue of Shs 42.7 billion in the statement of comprehensive income compared to Shs 56 billion realised in the year 2013/14.

The report says the Authority posted a deficit of Shs 12.6 billion as opposed to a surplus of Shs 3.72 billion in the previous year. According to Mutagamba, reduction in foreign tourists is one of the reasons for the drop in revenues.

Uganda faults Kenya, Rwanda on EAC tourist visa

take a look here, na bado tunafuta mchawi? mchawi wa wa Afrika wa kwanza ni mwafrika mwenyewe!!! najuwa watu kama kina Maziku Masunga Jr. watasema ni photoshop! kwa bahati nzuri MALCOM LUMUMBA anatabia ya kuongea na wazee wazamani, basi namuomba aje awathibitishie kwamba hapo ni Kampala na sio ulaya

 

[mchambawima1]

Written by URN
Created: 26 January 2016

Uganda has failed to reap benefits from the single East African tourist visa system introduced in February 2014, Tourism Minister, Maria Mutagamba says.

According to Mutagamba, the number of tourists visiting Uganda has dropped since the single East African tourists visa system was introduced because Kenya and Rwanda have not honoured the agreement signed by the three countries.

“That is a problem. In fact it is causing me a crisis…We agreed as the East African countries that we are going to have one common visa at $100. You pay that and enter all the three East African countries – Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya.

Unfortunately, for us we embraced it wholeheartedly, but our brothers and sisters in the two countries while they introduced the East African visa, they also maintained their local tourist visa. So if a tourist going to Kenya, I have an offer touring Kenya and I have an offer of $100 touring Kenya and whatever, I will stop in Kenya”, Mutagamba said.

The single tourist visa is a multi-entry visa costs $100 and grants a tourist a 90-day validity period to tour any of three of the five East African countries.

Tourists at a chimpanzee sanctuary at Ngamba island in Uganda

Mutagamba says that since Kenya and Rwanda broke the agreement under which the visa was formulated, Uganda is also planning to re-introduce a local tourist visa.

“The tourism sector is agitated. They say; ‘we must have our own tourism visa as Uganda’ so that we can also get our tourists coming here directly until we all agree that we are going to have one [tourist visa]…I hope I will be able to meet the prime minister because they are very very much upset about that.

All tourists are going to other countries and we are getting less of them. Because of that unfulfilled or ununderstood arrangement that we entered in. Otherwise, as Uganda, we have actually been remitting our funds religiously and the other countries are remitting less and the explanation is: they are selling their visas and not the East African visa”, Mutagamba added.

According to the 2014/15 Auditor General’s report, Uganda Wildlife Authority reported total revenue of Shs 42.7 billion in the statement of comprehensive income compared to Shs 56 billion realised in the year 2013/14.

The report says the Authority posted a deficit of Shs 12.6 billion as opposed to a surplus of Shs 3.72 billion in the previous year. According to Mutagamba, reduction in foreign tourists is one of the reasons for the drop in revenues.

Uganda faults Kenya, Rwanda on EAC tourist visa

kuna wakati

Written by URN
Created: 26 January 2016

Uganda has failed to reap benefits from the single East African tourist visa system introduced in February 2014, Tourism Minister, Maria Mutagamba says.

According to Mutagamba, the number of tourists visiting Uganda has dropped since the single East African tourists visa system was introduced because Kenya and Rwanda have not honoured the agreement signed by the three countries.

“That is a problem. In fact it is causing me a crisis…We agreed as the East African countries that we are going to have one common visa at $100. You pay that and enter all the three East African countries – Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya.

Unfortunately, for us we embraced it wholeheartedly, but our brothers and sisters in the two countries while they introduced the East African visa, they also maintained their local tourist visa. So if a tourist going to Kenya, I have an offer touring Kenya and I have an offer of $100 touring Kenya and whatever, I will stop in Kenya”, Mutagamba said.

The single tourist visa is a multi-entry visa costs $100 and grants a tourist a 90-day validity period to tour any of three of the five East African countries.

Tourists at a chimpanzee sanctuary at Ngamba island in Uganda

Mutagamba says that since Kenya and Rwanda broke the agreement under which the visa was formulated, Uganda is also planning to re-introduce a local tourist visa.

“The tourism sector is agitated. They say; ‘we must have our own tourism visa as Uganda’ so that we can also get our tourists coming here directly until we all agree that we are going to have one [tourist visa]…I hope I will be able to meet the prime minister because they are very very much upset about that.

All tourists are going to other countries and we are getting less of them. Because of that unfulfilled or ununderstood arrangement that we entered in. Otherwise, as Uganda, we have actually been remitting our funds religiously and the other countries are remitting less and the explanation is: they are selling their visas and not the East African visa”, Mutagamba added.

According to the 2014/15 Auditor General’s report, Uganda Wildlife Authority reported total revenue of Shs 42.7 billion in the statement of comprehensive income compared to Shs 56 billion realised in the year 2013/14.

The report says the Authority posted a deficit of Shs 12.6 billion as opposed to a surplus of Shs 3.72 billion in the previous year. According to Mutagamba, reduction in foreign tourists is one of the reasons for the drop in revenues.

Uganda faults Kenya, Rwanda on EAC tourist visa

hivi waziri kama huyu inachukuwa mda gani kumtimua kazi? kazini anakuwa anafanya nini kweli? hivi hajuwi ya kwamba dhumuni la hiyo VIZA ni kuvutia na kuwapunguzia gharama watalii wanaotaka kutembelea nchi zote tatu for 100$? a country that isued a viza gets 40$ and the rest share the remaining 60$ equally... kwa asiyetaka, anachukua local visa! sasa Uganda hawana local VIZA reserved kwa ajili ya wageni wao? hii kali, waafrika tunaongoza kwa kutafuta vijisababu vyakutupumbaza! mi nafikiri tokea hiyo VIZA iwe introduced Uganda ikaona wacha ijirudie chumbani ikasinzie kama kawaida, halafu Kenya na Rwanda wataleta tuu wateja... unbelievable! bora hata Tanzania, ikiona maji ni marefo hata hawaumizi kichwa kujaribu... Maziku Masunga Jr.

 

[Miunda]

take a look here, na bado tunafuta mchawi? mchawi wa wa Afrika wa kwanza ni mwafrika mwenyewe!!! najuwa watu kama kina Maziku Masunga Jr. watasema ni photoshop! kwa bahati nzuri MALCOM LUMUMBA anatabia ya kuongea na wazee wazamani, basi namuomba aje awathibitishie kwamba hapo ni Kampala na sio ulaya

Omba ukitawaliwa na mzungu asiondoke, hata tanganyika kulikuwa na transport nzuri tu miaka hio, hata zanzibar tulikuwa na transport nzuri mpaka train, saa hivi yako wapi hayo?

 

[blessings]

Uganda mtajibeba mmewaruhusu Manyang'au kwenye Single Tourist visa? bado sasa watakuja kufanya kazi mpaka za ndani. Wakenya ni shida

 

[Geza Ulole]

kuna wakati

hivi waziri kama huyu inachukuwa mda gani kumtimua kazi? kazini anakuwa anafanya nini kweli? hivi hajuwi ya kwamba dhumuni la hiyo VIZA ni kuvutia na kuwapunguzia gharama watalii wanaotaka kutembelea nchi zote tatu for 100$? a country that isued a viza gets 40$ and the rest share the remaining 60$ equally... kwa asiyetaka, anachukua local visa! sasa Uganda hawana local VIZA reserved kwa ajili ya wageni wao? hii kali, waafrika tunaongoza kwa kutafuta vijisababu vyakutupumbaza! mi nafikiri tokea hiyo VIZA iwe introduced Uganda ikaona wacha ijirudie chumbani ikasinzie kama kawaida, halafu Kenya na Rwanda wataleta tuu wateja... unbelievable! bora hata Tanzania, ikiona maji ni marefo hata hawaumizi kichwa kujaribu... Maziku Masunga Jr.

local visa was not supposed ti be there upon issuing the tripartite visa! That's the gimmick Rwanda and Kenya are doing to Uganda since they advertised the Tripartite visa but ending up issuing a different visa from the agreed! A reason Tanzania refused to get entangled into this stuff...theft was spotted all along on revenues collection.

 

[Bukyanagandi]

Omba ukitawaliwa na mzungu asiondoke, hata tanganyika kulikuwa na transport nzuri tu miaka hio, hata zanzibar tulikuwa na transport nzuri mpaka train, saa hivi yako wapi hayo?

Wengi hawajui kwamba kwenye miaka ya siti jiji la Dar lilikuwa na doubledecker Buses watu wa zamani watakuthibitishia hilo - mimi nilikuwa nasikia kwenye wimbo wa Kilwa Jazz "Magari ya ghorofa ya kwenda ILALA -kifo cha PENZI.."

 

[bdo]

Wengi hawajui kwamba kwenye miaka ya siti jiji la Dar lilikuwa na doubledecker Buses watu wa zamani watakuthibitishia hilo - mimi nilikuwa nasikia kwenye wimbo wa Kilwa Jazz "Magari ya ghorofa ya kwenda ILALA -kifo cha PENZI.."

Substitute yake ni magari ya kwenda kasi, hivi yanakwenda km/h?

 

[Bukyanagandi]

Substitute yake ni magari ya kwenda kasi, hivi yanakwenda km/h?

Nafikiri yanaweza kwenda mwendo kasi wa kufikia au kuzidi 120 KPH lakini hayataruhusiwa kuzidi 80KPH - hayo ni maoni yangu.

 

[Ngongo]

Haaa haa you have made my day.

seems all COW moves to isolate Tanzania r failing, from pipeline to Lamu n to now regional one visa for tourism! When we said Tanzania is the father n mother of EAC u urged! I hope now the COW Plotters know who is the big dad!

 

[Bantugbro]

This was bound to happen....

 

[mchambawima1]

local visa was not supposed ti be there upon issuing the tripartite visa! That's the gimmick Rwanda and Kenya are doing to Uganda since they advertised the Tripartite visa but ending up issuing a different visa from the agreed! A reason Tanzania refused to get entangled into this stuff...theft was spotted all along on revenues collection.

ooh losers... I think this is another reason why Tanzania lags behind and always fail to cooperate for the benefit of OUR EA COMMUNITY while I am still puzzled by your comment, let us forget the reckless complains from a Ugandan minister... tell me what should have been done for Tanzania to join? to force tourists to purchase and visit three countries for 100$ even if they wanted to visit one for about 30$? you guys are insane! nothing to be afraid of, just improve your negotiation skills and everything will be fine... the whole IDEA was to promote and not to discourage tourism! in the end, unless you prove me otherwise tourist may choose which viza to apply for http://www.visiteastafrica.org/visa-2/ Maziku Masunga Jr.

 

[mbongo_halisi]

Tanzania has learnt from past mistakes. These three countries combined do not have anything to offer to attract tourists. Kenya has Masai Mara and maybe Amboseli which are nothing compared to any of Tanzania's mighty national parks. If Tanzania were to get serious with its tourism board nobody will seek tourist visa to these countries even South Africa. I urge president Magufuli to overhaul Tanzania tourism board. By the way, nobody in the great continent of Africa has the best national parks than Tanzania. NOBODY is even close to it. #WhatWillMagufuliDoNext

 

[Tutafika]

The whole mission was 'TO HAVE ONE VISA' as Uganda did, but not to ADD a visa product as Kenya and Rwanda are doing.

ooh losers... I think this is another reason why Tanzania lags behind and always fail to cooperate for the benefit of OUR EA COMMUNITY while I am still puzzled by your comment, let us forget the reckless complains from a Ugandan minister... tell me what should have been done for Tanzania to join? to force tourists to purchase and visit three countries for 100$ even if they wanted to visit one for about 30$? you guys are insane! nothing to be afraid of, just improve your negotiation skills and everything will be fine... the whole IDEA was to promote and not to discourage tourism! in the end, unless you prove me otherwise tourist may choose which viza to apply for http://www.visiteastafrica.org/visa-2/ Maziku Masunga Jr.