Aviation services company Swissport has extended its contract with Air Tanzania at its Dar es Salaam (DAR) home base in Tanzania until 2024.

Since the beginning of 2020, Swissport has been offering airport ground and air cargo handling services to Air Tanzania. 

According to the new agreement, which extends the contract for a further two years, Swissport will offer a wide range of services, including airport ground, air cargo handling and aviation security for 134 flights per week. 

At DAR, Swissport has been servicing Air Tanzania’s aircraft such as Boeing 787 Dreamliners, Airbus A220s and Bombardier Q400.

Currently, Air Tanzania, the flag carrier of Tanzania, has flights for ten domestic and six international destinations.

In addition to DAR, Swissport also handles Air Tanzania’s hub operations at Kilimanjaro Airport, which is the second base for the Tanzanian flag carrier. 

Swissport Tanzania CEO Mrisho Yassin said: “We are pleased that Air Tanzania has once again chosen Swissport as a partner for a range of mission-critical ground services that have a significant impact on an airline’s on-time performance and reliability.

“It underlines that our leading position in the hub and large base handling is recognised across the industry and pays off also at the airport of the Tanzanian metropolis.” 

In July, Swissport began aeroplane servicing at Rome-Fiumicino Airport (FCO) in Rome, Italy.

This was the result of a contract awarded in May from Alitalia – Società Aerea Italiana to offer ground handling services at the airport.

Swissport now provides airport ground services and air cargo handling to almost 850 airlines on six continents. Airport Technology

NAIROBI, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's incoming President William Ruto said Monday his administration will prioritize economic turnaround, peace, reconciliation, and cohesion once he is sworn into office next week.

Ruto in a televised address to the nation soon after the Supreme Court declared he was validly elected as Kenya's fifth president, pledged to transform the economy, ensure growth was shared evenly, and unite the country after a fractious campaign season.

"The journey for transforming this country's economy and open opportunities for everyone regardless of ethnic origin, creed, gender, and political persuasion has begun," Ruto remarked in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital.

Ruto, who turns 56 years old on December 21, 2022, was declared the winner of the presidential election by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chairman on Aug. 15, after garnering 7.17 million or 50.49 percent of 14.1 million votes cast during the Aug. 9 polls.

His closest rival in the race and veteran opposition leader, Raila Odinga garnered 6.9 million or 48.85 percent of votes cast but disputed Ruto's victory citing electoral malpractices.

Odinga and a host of civil society activists later filed a petition at the Supreme Court to overturn Ruto's victory but the seven bench judges of the apex court in their ruling on Monday dismissed the consolidated petitions, citing a lack of tangible evidence.

By upholding Ruto as validly elected fifth Kenyan President, the apex court paved way for his swearing-in after one week as stipulated in the country's constitution.

Ruto who made history by becoming Kenyan President in his first attempt vowed to reach out to political competitors to build a united, prosperous, and democratic country.

"Now that the lengthy protracted electoral cycle has come to an end, I will extend a hand of friendship to my worthy competitors to build a society of hope, opportunity, and progress," said Ruto.

He pledged to build on the legacy of his predecessor, the outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta besides ensuring that other national leaders are accorded respect and protection in their retirement.

In addition, Ruto said his administration will respect the rule of law, nurture political pluralism, and ensure independent institutions are adequately funded and shielded from meddling by the executive arm of government.

He said that during his hundred days in office, he will implement an ambitious framework to tackle youth unemployment and ease inflationary pressures on households.

Ruto takes over the reins of power at a time when Kenyans are reeling from an economic downturn linked to a prolonged drought, pandemic-related disruptions, and the Ukraine crisis. - Xinhua

KAMPALA (AGENCIES) — The criminal investigations directorate (CID) has launched a manhunt for socialite Charles Olim aka Sipapa for allegedly robbing $429,000 (about Shs 1.64 billion) from South Sudanese national identified as Jacob Arok. 

The said money was stolen during a robbery at Arok’s home in Bunga, Makindye Division in the wee hours of August 28. The attackers who, according to CID detectives, used chloroform also vanished with four iPhones, two Apple laptops, a Dell laptop and gold jewellery.

In the aftermath, Arok filed a case of robbery at Kabalagala police division indicating that he did not know when exactly the robbers accessed his house, but his valuables had been taken by the time he woke up. A subsequent search by criminal and cyber teams digitally located the iPhone in Buwate village, in Kira Municipality.

Police spokesperson Fred Enanga says that the said home belongs to Sipapa who was not present at the time. When the house was searched, in the presence of Sipapa’s wife Shamirah Nakiyimba, the detectives uncovered some of the items that had been robbed from Arok’s home including money amounting to $70,000.

“During the subsequent investigations, our detectives tracked down an iCloud signal from one of the stolen phones that led them to the location in Kityo close Buwate in Kira division. When we interviewed the occupants, they told us that the house belongs to Olim Charles Sipapa,” said Enanga. 

As police searched the home, Sipapa was in his home district Tororo where he was seen distributing money afterwards. Now, the police have arrested four suspects including the wife Nakiyimba.

“So far four suspects are in custody including the wife Nakiyimba Shamirah. Nakiyimba Shamirah had tried to hide the $70,000 in one of the shoes. Then the other items, the iPhones and the gold jewellery we found under her bed. So a serious manhunt for Sipapa who is urgently needed for questioning is ongoing. His last locations were in Nagongera, Soni and Nabuyonga sub-counties in Tororo where he was distributing a lot of money,” added Enanga. 

Police have also recovered a Jeep and an Audi vehicle that was being resprayed from white to red colour. It is not the first time Sipapa is falling on the wrong side of the law.

He has previously faced allegations of domestic violence, traffic offences, murder, attacking opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) headquarters and shooting live ammunition through the gate, attempted murder, and robberies among others but somehow the cases against him tend to just fizzle out without any progress. Sudan Post