DAR ES SALAAM, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) said on Friday its passenger train services between Dar es Salaam in Tanzania and New Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia will reopen in September.

A statement issued by TAZARA headquarters in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam said TAZARA passenger train services between the two destinations were suspended in March 2020, following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The statement said the services will resume immediately after the reopening of the Chambeshi railway bridge on the Chambeshi River in northeastern Zambia. The reopening of the bridge has been delayed due to unforeseen challenges faced in completing the works by the engineering contractor, said the statement.

"The repairs are now expected to end by August 30 and the reopening of the line is consequently rescheduled to happen around September 15, 2022, after line testing," said the statement.

On Aug. 2, Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan and her Zambian counterpart Hakainde Hichilema agreed to mobilize resources to revive the TAZARA railway to make it modern and vibrant.

TAZARA was constructed as a turnkey project between 1970 and 1975 through an interest-free loan from China, with commercial operations starting in July 1976, covering 1,860 kilometers from Dar es Salaam in Tanzania to New Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia. - Xinhua

NAIROBI, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- Kenya has launched a month-long photo exhibition to market Mount Kenya as a prime adventure tourism destination.

Najib Balala, cabinet secretary of the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife, said in a speech read on his behalf by Edwin Wanyonyi, the director for Partnership and Enterprise at Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), that the exhibition seeks to arouse the interest of foreign and domestic tourists to visit the iconic landmark.

"There is a big potential for more visitors to tour the iconic Mount Kenya, hence the need to continue harnessing resources to improve the visitor experience and to appeal to more adventure seekers and mountain climbers," Wanyonyi said during the launch Tuesday evening in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya.

Mount Kenya is the second highest peak in Africa, standing at 5,199 meters, and is one of the key adventure tourism destinations on the continent.

Wanyonyi said that KWS plans to transform the heritage site into a popular rendezvous for fun seekers.

"We plan to enhance the experience in our adventure parks by refurbishing and upgrading the visitor facilities," he disclosed.

The KWS official revealed that Mount Kenya also provides visitors with opportunities for sport fishing, camping, cave exploration, cultural and hiking experiences.

Betty Radier, chief executive officer of the Kenya Tourism Board, said that Mount Kenya is one of the key attractions highlighted by the country's new tourism strategy that aims at showcasing and giving visitors life-changing experiences. - Xinhua