Struggling to return the country’s tourism industry to full strength has Kenya done an apparent U-turn on plans by Emirates, Dubai’s award winning airline, to launch a third daily flight from Dubai to Nairobi.
Njengonyulo oluza kufika ebutsheni balo nyaka - intetho yabezopolitiko abakhokelayo kungoku nje ayenzi nto ukuzolisa iintlungu zabathathi-nxaxheba kwezokhenketho - ukuba ilizwe linomdla ongaphaya wokutsala abakhenkethi abaninzi abavela kwiimarike ezininzi, nokuba ngubani obalekela kweli lizwe, nokuba ingaseMombasa okanye eNairobi.
Nangona kunjalo, iKenya iyathandabuza ukuvumela iinqwelomoya ezininzi zangaphandle ukuba zicwangcise iinqwelomoya kwisikhululo seenqwelomoya esikhulu saseKenya kwaye yiRwandAir, iTopiya neTurkey Airlines ngoku ezinamalungelo okufika. I-Qatar Airways kunye nezinye izithuthi zishiyekile kubanda nangona zithandaza kakhulu kumzi-mveliso wokubuka iindwendwe elunxwemeni ukuba zitshintshe kwaye zivumele iinqwelomoya ukuba zisebenze eMombasa.
Ulawulo lwenkuthazo olwenziwe ngurhulumente waseKenya, ukutsala inqwelomoya kwiinqwelomoya zibuyela eMombasa, khange zibone ukuzalisekiswa kwayo njengoko uninzi lweenqwelomoya ezivela e-UK zisekho kunxweme lwaseKenya. Iimpawu zibonisa ukuba abanye banokuphinda baqhubeke ngenqwelomoya emva kokuba unyulo luka-Agasti luye kwaye bahamba ngoxolo njengabakhokeli babakhenkethi abakhokelayo, kunye neenqwelomoya zabo, ngoku bajonge njengezicwangciso zokubaleka ezifanayo nezo bazenzayo kunyulo luka-2012.
Yonke eminye imithombo yokhenketho iphazamisekile ngoku ukuba i-Emirates, eyabhengeza injongo yayo yokuqalisa ngenqwelomoya yesithathu yemihla ngemihla isuka e-Dubai isiya eNairobi ukubonelela ngoqhakamshelwano olungcono kwihlabathi liphela ngexesha lokulinda elincitshisiweyo, kubonakala ukuba ijolise kuNobhala oyiNtloko karhulumente. Ezothutho uMnu Irungu Nyakera.
I-PS icatshulwe yimithombo yeendaba evela eKenya ukuba ibhalele i-Emirates eNairobi icebisa ukuba akukho mvume iya kunikwa ngenqwelomoya yesithathu, ngaphandle kwesiVumelwano seNkonzo yeeMoya ngoku. Oku, ukuba sisigqibo sokugqibela sikarhulumente waseKenya - njengoko i-UAE ngokuqinisekileyo iya kuba nento eyithethayo ngesigqibo nayo-iyayikhanyela imakethi yezokhenketho yaseKenya kulo nyaka kuphela iinyanga ezisixhenxe zeenkonzo ze-Boeing B777 zemihla ngemihla ezinokuthi zizise amawaka abakhenkethi abaninzi elizweni.
Ukuhamba ngenqwelomoya bekuya kubonelela ngomthamo omkhulu wempahla ukuze kuphakanyiswe iintlanzi ezibandayo, imifuno esandula ukwenziwa, iziqhamo kunye neentyatyambo zabathumeli kwelinye ilizwe baseKenya abanomdla wokuthengisa iimveliso zabo kwiindawo ezifanelekileyo zentengiso kwiGulf nangaphaya.
Le meko ikhumbuza indlela ngaphambili iQatar Airways eyayiphathwa ngayo xa zazineentsuku ezimbalwa zokuphehlelela enye inqwelomoya eya eNairobi ukuya kuqhubekela eKilimanjaro ngelixesha kwangaxeshanye kusungulwa inkonzo eDoha ukuya eDar es Salaam ukuya phambili eMombasa . Zombini ezi nqwelomoya, kunye nemithombo ethembekileyo evela eQatar inyanzelisa oko, isusiwe ngamazwi kodwa akukho leta yabhalwa kwade kwaphela iintsuku zokuphehlelelwa xa iKenya ivimba ezi nqwelo moya nazo.
Imithombo yezokhenketho kuthiwa kuthethwana ngoku ngeenjongo zokuphembelela urhulumente ukuba avumele enye yeenqwelomoya ezihamba phambili zehlabathi ukufikelela okongezelelekileyo kwintengiso yaseKenya ngelixa kwangaxeshanye inethemba lokuba akusayi kubakho mpendulo igwenxa evela kwindawo yentengiso yeGulf vis. intengiso ye-vis yaseKenya njengendawo ekhethwayo unyaka wonke.
