Serengeti National Park

A million wildebeest... each one driven by the same ancient rhythm, fulfilling its instinctive role in the inescapable cycle of life: a frenzied three-week bout of territorial conquests and mating; survival of the fittest as 40km (25 mile) long columns plunge through crocodile-infested waters on the annual exodus north; replenishing the species in a brief population explosion that produces more than 8,000 calves daily before the 1,000 km (600 mile) pilgrimage begins again.

Tanzania's oldest and most popular national park, also a world heritage site and recently proclaimed a 7th world wide wonder, the Serengeti is famed for its annual migration, when some six million hooves pound the open plains, as more than 200,000 zebra and 300,000 Thomson's gazelle join the wildebeest’s trek for fresh grazing. Yet even when the migration is quiet, the Serengeti offers arguably the most scintillating game-viewing in Africa: great herds of buffalo, smaller groups of elephant and giraffe, and thousands upon thousands of eland, topi, kongoni, impala and Grant’s gazelle.

The spectacle of predator versus prey dominates Tanzania’s greatest park. Golden-maned lion prides feast on the abundance of plain grazers. Solitary leopards haunt the acacia trees lining the Seronera River, while a high density of cheetahs prowls the southeastern plains. Almost uniquely, all three African jackal species occur here, alongside the spotted hyena and a host of more elusive small predators, ranging from the insectivorous aardwolf to the beautiful serval cat.

But there is more to Serengeti than large mammals. Gaudy agama lizards and rock hyraxes scuffle around the surfaces of the park’s isolated granite koppies. A full 100 varieties of dung beetle have been recorded, as have 500-plus bird species, ranging from the outsized ostrich and bizarre secretary bird of the open grassland, to the black eagles that soar effortlessly above the Lobo Hills.
As enduring as the game-viewing is the liberating sense of space that characterises the Serengeti Plains, stretching across sunburnt savannah to a shimmering golden horizon at the end of the earth. Yet, after the rains, this golden expanse of grass is transformed into an endless green carpet flecked with wildflowers. And there are also wooded hills and towering termite mounds, rivers lined with fig trees and acacia woodland stained orange by dust.

Popular the Serengeti might be, but it remains so vast that you may be the only human audience when a pride of lions masterminds a siege, focussed unswervingly on its next meal.

About Serengeti 
Size: 14,763 sq km (5,700 sq miles).
Location: 335km (208 miles) from Arusha, stretching north to Kenya and bordering Lake Victoria to the west.

Getting there
Scheduled and charter flights from Arusha, Lake Manyara and Mwanza.
Drive from Arusha, Lake Manyara, Tarangire or Ngorongoro Crater.

What to do
Hot air balloon safaris, walking safari, picnicking, game drives, bush lunch/dinner can be arranged with hotels/tour operators.  Maasai rock paintings and musical rocks.

Visit neighbouring Ngorongoro Crater, Olduvai Gorge, Ol Doinyo Lengai volcano and Lake Natron's flamingos.

When to go
To follow the wildebeest migration, December-July. To see predators, June-October.

Accommodation
Four lodges, six luxury tented camps and camp sites scattered through the park; one new lodge will be opened next season (Bilila Lodge); one luxury camp, a lodge and two tented camps just outside.

More info on accomodation

NOTE

UTABIRI WA PELE UTATIMIA LINI?

Utabiri wa Pele kuhusu Afrika utatimia lini?

Nguli wa soka ulimwenguni, Pele alitabiri nchi mojawapo ya Afrika kuchukua kombe la dunia kabla ya karne ya 20 haijamalizika. Matumaini ya mashabiki wa soka barani Afrika yapo mikononi mwa nchi tano

Nchi tano zitakazoliwakilisha bara la Afrika mara hii katika dimba la Kombe la Dunia ni Algeria, Cameroon, Ghana, Ivory Coast na Nigeria. Ni kocha mmoja tu kati ya timu hizo za taifa ambaye ameshaweka bayana matumaini ya kusonga mbele na hatimaye kuchukua ubingwa huo wa dunia naye ni Kwesi Appiah wa Ghana (Black Stars).

"Timu nzuri ni ile inayojivunia uwezo wake ilionao" alisema Appiah ambaye anasema Ghana ina kikosi imara hivyo anaamini itasonga mbele na hatimaye kuchukua kombe la dunia.

Asamoah Gyan alikosa kufunga penalti ambayo ingeipa Ghana tikiti ya kucheza nusu fainali ya Kombe la Dunia mwaka wa 2010

Maneno hayo ya Kwesi Appiah yanaweza yakawashangaza baadhi ya mashabiki wa soka kutokana na ugumu wa kundi la Black Stars ambalo linajumuisha Ujerumani, Ureno na Marekani iliyocheza nayo katika mzunguko wa pili wa kombe la dunia lililopita nchini Afrika kusini.

Kutokana na ugumu wa kundi hilo, wachambuzi wengi wa soka hawaipi nafasi Ghana kuvuka hatua ya kwanza ya michuano hiyo kama ilivyofanya katika michuano iliyopita ambapo kama sio Luis Suarez kushika mpira uliokuwa unaenda wavuni na kisha Asamoah Gyan kukosa tuta, basi Ghana ingekuwa nchi ya kwanza kutoka Afrika kutinga katika hatua ya nusu fainali ya michuano hiyo mikubwa ya kandanda duniani.

Ukiachilia mbali nchi za Afrika kushindwa kufika hatua ya nusu fainali ya michuano hiyo, lakini pia zina matoke mabovu katika hatua ya makundi kwenda hatua ya mtoano kwani hadi sasa hakuna zaidi ya mataifa mawili ya Afrika yaliyoweza kusonga mbele katika hatua ya makundi hali ambayo inadhihirisha udhaifu wa timu kutoka bara hilo.

Didier Drogba anafahamu kuwa hii ni fursa yake ya mwisho kuiwakilisha nchi yake katika Kombe la Dunia

Mchezaji nyota wa zamani wa timu ya taifa ya Uingereza na Liverpool, John Barnes amezitaka nchi za Afrika kuwa na fikra chanya ili ziweze kuishangaza dunia katika michuano hiyo.

"Waafrika wanatakiwa kuonesha uchu na nidhamu wakati wanazichezea nchi zao kama vile wanavyokuwa katika klabu zao za ulaya" alisema Barnes wakati akiongea na kituo cha televisheni cha Afrika Kusini cha Supersport.

Lakini Barnes ambaye ameichezea Uingereza katika fainali mbili za dunia ya mwaka 1986 na 1990, uongozi mbovu wa soka Afrika unachangia kuharibu vipaji vya wachezaji wa soka wa Afrika kama ilivyokuwa kwa Samuel Eto'o wa Cameroun na Emannuel Adebayor ambao mara kadhaa walikuwa wanaingia matatani na vyama vya soka vya nchi zao.

"Tatizo kubwa lililopo Afrika ni viongozi wetu ambao hawatuheshimu sisi" alisema Eto'o wakati akiongea na mtandao wa Shirikisho la soka Afrika CAF. Mchezaji nyota wa zamani wa Liberia, George Weah ambaye ndiye mchezaji pekee kutoka Afrika kuwa mchezaji bora wa dunia, Ulaya na Afrika, anakiri kuwepo kwa changamoto hiyo ya uongozi wa soka Afrika.

Rais wa FIFA Sepp Blatter na Rais wa CAF Issa Hayatou

"Wachezaji wa zamani ndio wanaoongoza soka la ulaya wakati wale wasio na mapenzi na uwezo wa mchezo ndio wanaotawala Afrika" alisema Weah. Kocha wa Algeria ambaye ni raia wa Bosnia Vahid Halilhodzic amelaumu siasa kuingilia mchezo wa soka Afrika, lakini pia mazingira ya kiuchumi ambayo yanachangia kutokuleta mafanikio katika kombe la dunia.

"Soka la kimataifa ni maarufu sana Afrika na baadhi ya wanasiasa wanatumia mchezo huu kujipatia umaarufu, wanauingilia na kuleta migongano katika vyama" alisema Halilhodzic.

Rais wa Shirikisho la Soka Afrika CAF, Issa Hayatou ambaye ni raia wa Cameroon, anaamini mwaka 2014 utakuwa ndio mwanzo wa nchi za Afrika kupata matokeo mazuri katika fainali za dunia. "Sioni kwanini Afrika haiwezi ikawa na mwakilishi mmoja au wawili katika hatua ya nusu fainali au hata fainali" alisema Hayatou wakati akiongea na mtandao wa CAF.

Vyovyote itakavyokuwa kama utabiri wa Pele utafanikiwa au ndoto ya Kwesi Appiah ya Ghana kutwaa kombe la dunia mwaka huu, lakini ukweli unabaki pale pale kuwa mashabiki wa soka kutoka bara la Afrika lenye raia karibu billioni moja wanasubiri kwa shauku kubwa kuona mwakilishi wao akitwaa kombe hilo lenye heshima kubwa zaidi duniani kuliko michuano yoyote ile kwa upande wa mpira wa miguu.

Mwandishi Anuary Mkama/AFP
Mhariri: Bruce Amani

MLIPUKO MWINGINE NIGERIA.

Mlipuko mwingine Nigeria - 14 wauawa

 2 Juni, 2014 - Saa 07:46 GMT

Nigeria yashambuliwa 

Polisi Kaskazini mashariki mwa Nigeria wanasema kuwa shambulizi la bomu limewauwa zaidi ya watu 14 na kuwajeruhi wengine wengi.

Ripoti zimesema kuwa mlipuko huo uliotokea katika mji wa Mubi, ulilenga chumba kimoja cha burudani ambako watu walikuwa wakitazama mechi ya soka kwenye televisheni.

Pia wameshambulia nyumba za watu na kuzichoma moto, na kisa kilicho tikisa jamii ya kimataifa ni wasichana zaidi ya 200 waliotekwa nyara yapata miezi miwili sasa hadi leo hawajulikani waliko.Katika miezi michache iliyopita, Boko Haram wamezidisha mashambulio yao hasa kaskazini mashariki mwa Nigeria. Mamia ya watu wameuawa na wengine wengi kujieruhiwa.

'Uharibifu uliozidi'

Uharibifu mkubwa wa mashambulio

Mashambulio haya yameacha uharibifu mkubwa. Waliosalimika wamelazimika kukimbia makwao huku shule zikiachwa bila wanafunzi.

Shambulio hilo limetokea karibu na mpaka kati ya Nigeria na Cameroon katika jimbo la Adamawa-mojawepo ya majimbo ambako sheria ya hali ya hatari inatumika kutokana na mashambulizi ya kundi la waislamu wenye itikadi kali la Boko Haramu.

Katika mwezi mmoja pekee watu zaidi ya 200 wameuawa katika mji huo.

Lakini sasa katika maeneo mengine ya kaskazini ambako inasemekana usalama umerejea kiasi, kama vile mji wa Kano juhudi zinafanywa kung'oa mizizi ya uovu huo.

Wanamgambo wa kiislamu AL shabaab wanaodaiwa kuwa na uhusiano na AL qaeda wamekuwa wakiwazuia wananchi kushiriki mambo yanayohusishwa na Mataifa ya magharibi. Inakisiwa kuwa zaidi ya wanafunzi milioni 11 kaskazini mwa Nigeria hawapewi mafunzo mengine yoyote mbali na ya kidini.

'Wanafunzi waathirika'

shule za Nigeria

Mashirika ya kijamii hasa kutoka Uingereza yamekuwa yakifadhili kupitia taasisi za nchini humo masomo ya ziada hasa katika shule za mafunzo ya kidini, ili yatoe elimu ya ziada mbali na Qurani.

Tayari maelfu ya wanafunzi wanafaidi lakini bado kuna wengi zaidi wanaotishiwa usalama wao na inadaiwa ni kiasi kikubwa zaidi ya nchi hiyo haiwezi kufikiwa.

Licha ya mauaji ya miaka mingi yaliyofanywa na kundi hilo la Boko Haram na hata kujitangaza hadharani uhusiano wao na kundi la AL Qaeda, ni wiki iliyopita tu ambapo Umoja wa Mataiifa umeilitangaza kuwa kundi la kigaidi.

Japo wengi wanaona kuwa hatua hiyo imechelewa, bado inatoa matumaini ya kuweza kuchukuliwa hatua zaidi kusaidia kukabiliana na kundi hilo.