African press review 8 August 2013

Nairobi's airport fire lines the headlines of African papers today, while the Nigerian press looks at the end of Ramadan.

The devastating fire at the terminal building of Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport yesterday made the headlines of most of the main African dailies.

Here is what the Kenyan daily The Standard has to say: the fire engulfed Kenya’s main airport yesterday morning, forcing the delay of hundreds of international flights and choking the busiest travel gateway to East and Central Africa.

There were reportedly no casualties, says The Standard, and as investigators are already sifting through the debris in search of vital clues, there is no reason to speculate over the causes of the fire.

The incident does, however, coincide – to the day – with the 15th anniversary of a twin attack on the US embassy in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania by Islamist militants.

It is a coincidence that has already raised questions of terrorist involvement, explains the daily.

Further questions have also emerged regarding the long response time of rescuers to contain the fire at one of the country’s most secure and important institutions, reports the paper.

Sources talking to The Standard explained that although many functioning water hydrants cover the entire airport area, they did not discharge sufficient amounts of water to put out the fire, and fire engines that came early to the scene were unable to spray water up to the upper floors.

Accounts from passengers and taxi drivers at the airport paint a picture of disjointed and ill-prepared efforts to quell the fire, reports the paper, and a traffic jam – caused by curious motorists who had been blocked by police while trying to reach the airport – held up emergency service providers, worsening the situation.

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta thanked East African leaders for their support, saying that his counterparts in Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi were among the first leaders to send messages of encouragement to Kenyans, following the fire.

The President said the gesture was a satisfying indication that bloc leaders were committed to ideals of the East African Community integration process, explains the daily.

Staying in Kenya, the Daily Nation reports on a letter of condolence from the US embassy to the widow of a man killed in a traffic accident by an American diplomat.

Latifah Mariki lost her husband in a Nairobi accident in which a speeding diplomat drove into a minibus, killing the man and injuring eight others, reports the paper.

The letter that was dated 12 July, a day after the man’s death, had been delivered to the police who had not yet handed it to Mariki.

The letter did not state whether the family would receive any compensation for their loss.

The incident generated a lot of rage and protest across the city of Nairobi and raised questions and concerns over diplomatic immunity.

Moving on to Nigeria, where the daily Leadership reports on the end of Ramadan and how Nigerian Muslims will today celebrate Eid-el-Fitri. This, following the announcement by the Sultan of Sokoto and head of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs that the new moon has been cited in Sokoto and Maiduguri.

The new moon marks the end of the 29-day long Ramadan and the beginning of the Islamic month of Shawwal, explains the paper, which reports the reaction of different personalities, including the Roman Catholic pontiff, Pope Francis and Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan.

Nigeria is home to the second largest Muslim population in Africa after Egypt.

And finally, in Uganda, the national Daily Monitor reports on the Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary, which has scooped this year’s internationally prized hospitality award, the Certificate of Excellence by TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel site.

Ngamba Island is home to orphaned and captured chimpanzees, which the government now uses to educate visitors and local communities about the importance of conservation.

The Certificate of Excellence awards businesses who have shown outstanding hospitality, having received praise and recognition in reviews by TripAdvisor travellers, explains the Monitor.

According to the spokesperson for the Ugandan Ministry of Tourism, the award promises more funding for tourism and shows Uganda’s untapped tourism potential.