Tanzania Premier Tourism Fair set to Stage next Weekend

KILIFAIR, Tanzania’s new generation in tourism and travel trade exhibition portfolios, is scheduled to kick-off next week in Moshi at the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro.

Set to attract 250 exhibitors from different African countries, the premier KILIFAIR Exhibition is set to take place from June 3 to 5 and is expected to draw a sizeable number of exhibitors, travel trade visitors, buyers, and sellers from various corners of Africa, other than guests from other parts of the world. 

Organized by KILIFAIR Promotion Company, the event will be colored by business networking for the tourism industry, in combination with a community fair and three- day entertainment set to attract local people, families and expats. During the event, Tanzania Tourist Board will be working jointly with the organizers to market Destination Tanzania.

 Other, key tourist institutions to exhibit their tourist products and services are the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority and Tanzania National Parks. The two institutions are custodians of wildlife conservation and the leading tourist attractions in Tanzania.

KILIFAIR and the Tanzania Tourist Board have agreed to organize and run the exhibition jointly aiming to promote Tanzania as African safari destination for the year 2016, targeting global tourists looking to visit northern Tanzania and Mount Kilimanjaro, the premier tourist zone of East Africa.

Mount Kilimanjaro is the leading tourist attraction in East Africa and which pull crowds of visitors all the year round. Latest report from the organizers shows that some 156 tourist and travel trade companies from Tanzania have registered to participate, while foreign countries which had shown up are Kenya which is expecting to bring 25 exhibitors, Zambia 19 exhibitors, Uganda 17 exhibitors, Ethiopia 18 exhibitors and Zimbabwe will be represented by seven exhibitors.

The Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Tanzania Mr. Egon Kochanke is expected to participate and grace the first day of the event. Mr. Kochanke had agreed to support the KILIFAIR 2016 exhibition through his personal attendance to the event, organizers said.

The German ambassador had promised to full support the event during a brief interaction with KILIFAIR directors at a send-off ceremony that was organized by German embassy in Dar es Salaam for ITB 2016 team and which KILIFAIR directors had participated.

Taking place on the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro, KILIFAIR exhibition is as well, organized to run as an international tourism and industry fair, promoting and presenting companies based in the Kilimanjaro Region, the rest of Tanzania, the Spice Island of Zanzibar, Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, Ethiopia and Zimbabwe.

Mount Kilimanjaro, Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Crater all in northern Tanzania have been named the New Seven Wonders of Africa by their astounding natural attractions, making Tanzania’s northern tourist circuit East Africa’s leading tourist hotspot.

Other sponsors for the KILIFAIR 2016 exhibition are Ethiopian Airlines and FastJet. Ethiopian Airlines is the officially appointed international Airlines partner of KILIFAIR 2016. FastJet, will offer a return ticket to be won at a raffle as among the event sponsors.

Carrying a banner of “Boosting Tanzania Tourism”, KILIFAIR exhibition is as well, targeting to promote tourism in Kilimanjaro region, the fast growing locality in the African continent. Modern lodges have sprung up in villages located on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro readily equipped to provide services to mountain climbers and other tourists visiting the coffee and banana farms on the mountain's foothills.

Development of medium and modern tourist hotels also small sized establishments in villages surrounding Mount Kilimanjaro is a new type of hotel investments outside the towns, cities and the wildlife parks in Tanzania. Living standards, economic activities and rich African cultures have all attracted tourists from across the world, who come to visit and stay with local communities living in villages on the laps of Mount Kilimanjaro, far from the town.

But, with the growing prominence of Mount Kilimanjaro, coupled with demand for more hotels in the surrounding area, luxury hotels and lodges are sprouting in local villages, full of African cultures and ways of life that is blended with modern living standards.

Tanzania: Banned Transportation of all Live Animals outside the Country

The government  has banned transportation of all live animals outside the country for the next three years until proper procedures are made to ensure only approved animals are transported.

Natural Resources and Tourism Minister Professor Jumanne Maghembe told the National Assembly here yesterday when winding up his ministry's budget estimates for 2016/2017 that not even laces will be allowed to cross borders.

He said his ministry has instructed the Wildlife Department to come up with proper procedures to ensure that only primates and reptiles are cleared for transportation outside the country. Prof Maghembe added that the monkeys that were recently intercepted as they were illegally transported outside the country were meant to be used for medical research, which would have not benefitted the country.

"In any case, it would have instead benefitted the countries where those monkeys were being transported to," he remarked. Meanwhile, Members of Parliament (MPs) have demanded an investigation into the illegal export of live animals to Qatar from the Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA). Iringa Urban Lawmaker, Mr Peter Msigwa (Chadema), accused the ministry of clearing a foreign hunting firm, Green Miles Safaris Limited, to continue hunting in the country despite violating legislation and regulations governing wildlife conservation by hunting restricted wild animals in the Selous Game Reserve.

Mr Msigwa noted that just a few years back, former Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, Mr Lazaro Nyalandu, had revoked the licence for Green Miles Safari following revelations that it has been acting against set regulations. Mr Msigwa demanded to know who was behind the clearance.

"Honourable Chairman; we want to know who brought this company back through the back door. Why is the government failing to be consistent in its decisions, especially when it comes to matters of national interests?" Mr Msigwa queried.

The MP, observing that hunting was about conservation, said that it was shocking to learn that "this particular company has failed to observe required conservation standards. They hunt small black monkeys, use silence guns and many other illegal hunting practices."

He charged that the firm contravened the Tanzania Wildlife Conservation Act No 5 of 2009 and the Tourist Hunting Regulations of 2010. According to him, the company was found liable of many misdeeds, including employing unprofessional hunters, which include children under the age of 18 years. He also demanded to know the name of MP who was accused of poaching to be made public, saying it was a big embarrassment for the Parliament if it was true.

The outspoken lawmaker also warned his fellow MPs to avoid putting their constituencies ahead of national interests, saying it was not good to side with either farmers or pastoralists. Instead, he said, "time is up now for the country to come up with clear land demarcations where farmers and pastoralists will peacefully conduct their farming livestock keeping activities."

Mr Msigwa's concerns were supported by Ms Esther Bulaya (Bunda Urban - Chadema), who pinned the ministry to clarify how Green Miles Safaris were allowed back in the country's hunting blocks.

The MP also suggested that the ministry should reconsider offering double entry visas to tourists who tour the country, adding that a single entry visa was the best solution for the country to collect enough revenue from the sector instead.Ms Catherine Magige (Special Seats - CCM), also expressed concern over what she alleged as organised criminal poaching syndicates operating in Tanzania, saying it was a big threat to the country's tourism.

She demanded a review of the law to impose stricter penalties against poachers, including life imprisonment. She also wanted the legislator who has been linked to poaching to be named, saying no one is above the law. "This matter should seriously be looked at and appropriate action taken.

It is an embarrassment to us all," she complained. Vunjo MP James Mbatia (NCCR-Mageuzi) felt that little was being done to promote the country's tourism, which at the moment contributes 17.5 per cent of the GDP and 25 per cent of foreign exchange earnings.

However, he noted, such contribution remained static for the past three years. "Why are we lagging behind despite the fact that Tanzania is second best in the world as far as tourist attractions are concerned? It is unfathomable that despite all its potentials, Tanzania is placed 110 out of the 133 countries in the world in conducive environment for tourism," he said.

Mr Mbatia advised the ministry to consider creating a better environment to attract local investors to set up investments in tourism sector, especially by scrapping unwanted fees, licences and levies.

Mr Cosato Chumi (Mafinga Urban -CCM), said the Tanzania Tourist Board (TBB) should be given more funds for promotion, saying the 2 million US dollars set aside for the next financial year was too little compared to Kenya's 80 million US dollars. "How do you expect us to compete with Kenya?

They will continue to market tourism potentials such as Mt Kilimanjaro in Tanzania and pocket the benefits," he said. His sentiments were seconded by Ambassador Adadi Rajab (Muheza-CCM), who said the 1.1 million US dollars that the country was earning annually from its all tourist attractions was too little compared to 2 million dollars earned by Zimbabwe through Victoria Falls alone.

Arumeru West MP Gibson Meiseyeki (Chadema) said overhaul of the country tourism marketing strategy was needed because at the moment the TTB has failed to tap new markets such as China, India and Japan.

He said the number of tourist arrivals was too small compared to South Africa's 12 million tourists annually and Egypt's 15 million annually despite the fact that they do not have such attractions like those found in Tanzania.

A bitter war of words ensued among MPs over the ever-increasing clashes between farmers and pastoralists in the country. Nkasi North Lawmaker Ali Keissy (CCM), spoke bitterly over such tendency and warned MPs to avoid being part of the crisis.

"Let us all be warned to be vigilant on what we say. But it is important that we all put the national interest ahead of everything," he said, adding that it was not correct to turn every part of the country into a grazing area.

Tanzania: Tourism Promotion, War On Poaching High On 2016/17 Agenda

 

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism has announced a special drive to curb poaching, ensure extensive tourism promotion and marketing; and enable advanced forestry conservation.

These are among major highlights of the 135.8bn/- budget estimates for the 2016/2017 fiscal year - an increase of 43 per cent from the previous year - unveiled by the minister, Professor Jumanne Maghembe, in the National Assembly here yesterday. He told the House that the government has continued to intensify the war against poaching, which enabled the ministry to nab six kingpins of poaching, including one dubbed 'Queen of Ivory'. A total of 1,176 suspected poachers were nabbed.

The ministry also lodged a total of 654 court cases against the suspects out of which, 161 cases were successfully conducted and the culprits paid the government a total of 363m/-, while 53 were jailed. The government also impounded a number of trophies in the process.

Prof Maghembe detailed a number of initiatives for the financial year, high on the agenda being a multi-million US dollars project for the Southern Tanzania Tourism Development Initiative, which has the financial backing of the World Bank. Under this project, he said, the ministry has come up with a project dubbed 'Resilient Natural Resource Management for Growth' (REGRWO). The project, whose preparations started in November 2014, is expected to officially kick off in January next year.

The project is aimed at promoting better land use, especially in areas with tourism attractions, to supervise ecological tourism, to improve infrastructure and to identify tourism potentials in the Southern Circuit. He named areas, which will be involved in the project as Ruaha Game Reserve, Mikumi, Udzungwa and Selous Forest Reserve.

The ministry has also identified new tourist attraction areas in Mwanza, Geita, Mbeya, Manyara, Mara and Kigoma regions where investors are invited to set up required infrastructures. The Tanzania Tourists Board (TTB) has continued with a drive to promote the country's tourist attractions around the world.

In this drive, Prof Maghembe said TTB coordinated a tour of the country for 41 people, among them tourist agents and journalists from China, India and United Arab Emirates (UAE).

However, the minister's speech indicated an eight per cent drop in foreign tourists arrivals in the country last year, in which the minister said a total of 1,102,619 tourists visited the country and brought in 1.9 million US dollars (about 4tri/-) slightly down from 1,140,156 tourists who visited the country in 2014, who brought in 2 million US dollars (about 4 tri/-). He said the board also participated in a symposium to lure investors and promote tourism, held in Dubai December last year.

The board also organized a second edition of Swahili International Tourism Expo (SITE) at the Mlimani City in Dar es Salaam from October 1 to 3, aimed at promoting the country's tourism. A total of 110 companies from within and outside the country, including hotels and air travel companies, took part in the expo.

"At least 39 tourist agents from US, Israel, Canada, Australia, The Netherlands, India, Ireland, UK, German, South Africa, UAE, Seychelles and Kenya participated," he reported.

He further stated that TTB effectively promoted the country through the annual 'Karibu Travel and Tourism Fair' in Arusha and Kili Fair in Moshi, adding that during 2016/2017, TTB will strengthen promotion through social networks, including mobile phone 'portal' and Apps. Prof Maghembe also said that the Kilimanjaro National Parks Authority (KINAPA) won African Leading Tourist Attraction Award at the World Travel Award in England.

The award, he said will see the country extensively promoted in the website of this global institution. He further told the House that Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA) and Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (NCAA) have continued to make strides in protection of 16 national parks around the country and to conserve the Ngorongoro Crater, one of the natural wonders of the world.

The two institutions have also continued to participate in various social responsibility drives, which include donation of 10,000 desks in 19 regions. The ministry will also review the National tourism Policy of 1999, which is outdated. He also insisted that the next financial year budget will focus on advancing conservation of forestry.

On Tourism Development Levy (TDL), which is collected from, among others; bed night levy of 1.5 US dollars, Prof Maghembe pointed out an upward increment in which, a total of 3bn/- was collected in 2013/2014,while in 2014/2015, a total of 4.2bn/- was fetched.

He said during 2016/2017, the ministry will continue to work closely with the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) to improve systems of TDL collections in which a total of 1,424 guest houses have been identified in 25 Tanzania Mainland regions where the levy will be collected.

Prof Maghembe requested the House to endorse 135.8bn/- for his ministry during 2016/2017 financial year, of which, 118bn/-is for recurrent expenditure and 17.7bn/- for development projects.

Tabling the Natural Resources and Tourism Committee views on behalf of the Chairman, Atashasta Nditiye, a committee's representative, Mr Sebastian Kapufi, demanded that a special audit be carried out on Participatory Forest Management Programme (REDD and CCIAP), where funds were released from the 2015/2016 budget to conduct training to trainers and secretaries of the Olmotonyi Forestry College in Arusha as well as for renovation of seven houses at the college.

Debating the estimates, some MPs pressed the government to table the report by the Judicial Commission of Inquiry formed to look into the controversial 'Operation Tokomeza'. Ms Magdalena Sakaya (Kaliua-CUF) said the report by the commission, appointed by President Jakaya Kikwete, would shed light on those who died and others who were exposed to various forms of torture.

Arusha: Tanzanian Wildlife Conservator Arrested over Ivory Deal

 

ARUSHA, Tanzania, May 23 a senior wildlife conservator with Tanzania National Parks (Tanapa) has been arrested with one piece of elephant tusk in northern region of Arusha, authorities said on Monday.

Tanapa's spokesperson, Pascal Shelutete said in a statement that the experienced wildlife conservator, Genes Shayo, 60, was arrested by Tanapa's anti-poaching special task force on May 16, this year, in Arumeru District. Shelutete said that the country's wildlife watchdog received information that a person identified as Emmanuel Nassari, a resident of Ngarenanyuki in Arumeru District, owned ivory for which he was searching customers.

Nassari is a pastor at one of the Arusha-based churches under the Tanzania Assemblies of God (TAG).

It stated that after receiving the information, Tanapa consulted the national anti-poaching special task force for investigation. According to Shelutete, the task force succeeded to arrest pastor Nassari on May 15, this year, and after interrogations he admitted to have the ivory at his home.

He told the police that he was able to acquire the ivory through collaboration with Tanapa senior conservator, Genes Shayo. Nassari insisted that Shayo was aware of the ivory, a situation that forced police to arrest the conservator on May 16, this year, for interrogation.

The Tanzania National Parks has appealed to the public to continue cooperating with the authority by providing it with information on poaching. Shelutete said that Tanapa would continue to take actions against anyone, including its staff, who would be found to be engaged in poaching activities.

The arrest of the conservator came at the time when the country's wildlife watchdog is transforming itself into paramilitary to scale up anti-poaching battle. Tanapa is in charge of taking care of Tanzania's national parks. Tanzania has emerged as the epicenter of Africa's elephant poaching crisis after a government census revealed it had lost a "catastrophic" 60 percent of its elephants in just five years.

The results pile pressure on Tanzania's government that has been heavily criticized for its inability to stop a flood of poached ivory being stripped from its national parks.

Tanzania's elephant population is one of the continent’s largest. But data released last year by the Tanzania showed that between 2009 and 2014 the number dropped from 109,051 to 43,330. When an annual birth rate of 5 percent is taken into account the number of dead is 85,181.

East African Tour Guides for Recognition

 

THE Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, Professor Abdallah Maghembe, is set to grace the first ever inaugural ceremony of the Tour Guide Awards in East Africa, slated for May 28, in Arusha.
 

The Chairman of Tanzania Tour Guides Association (TTGA), Mr Sadock Zakayo, said here yesterday that Tanzania has emerged the first among other East African countries to come up with such innovation.

Mr Zakayo noted that guides and porters are virtual ambassadors of Tanzania to the outside world as they stay with tourists most of the time in their tour of the country. This being the case, TTGA has come up with the awards so as to identify the best ambassadors and create role models for others.

“For more than 90 per cent of the time when tourists are in Tanzania they stay with guides and porters. They are the ones to dictate the fate of the economy. The tourists may come back and even invest if they are treated well or move to other countries if the case is the opposite.

“We have this inaugural ceremony, the first of its kind in East Africa and we hope the minister will usher in a new spirit so that guides and porters work diligently on one side, but also get well paid by the tour companies and agents,” said Mr Zakayo.

The chairman noted that other targets of the awards are to involve all guides in efforts to spearhead hospitality in the sector, get a real and best tourism ambassador in the country, celebrate success in the quarter and that all terms and conditions of getting the winner have been complied with.

TTGA launched Best Guide Awards 2016, whereby out of 757 nominees in three categories, nine have been picked and finalization of the contest will take place on May 28. The Chairman of the Awards Programme and Head of the Judges’ Panel, Mr Vedasto Izoba, mentioned the contestants as Nsiande Gabriel, Peter Moshi and Arnold Moshi from the Safari category.

From the Mountain Category are Boniface Kunda, Bihosti Kyara and Victor Mmari. Porters who made it to the last three are Nehemia Nsabila, Said Kizamli and Aristides Assey. Mr Izoba said up to yesterday some 6,296 votes had been cast and the exercise goes on until May 28. He noted that leaders and directors of different corporations and institutions will attend the occasion.

TTGA has been pressurizing tour operators to implement the Government Notice No. 228/2009 that stipulates that tourist agencies and companies should pay a guide 20 US dollars, a cook 15 US dollars and a porter 10 US dollars per day. Tour companies are yet to offer contracts and agreed payments to guides and porters.

Tanzania: Mweka Wildlife College On Reform to Excellence

Moshi — The Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism on one hand and the Board of Directors of the College of African Wildlife Management - Mweka (CAWM) have resolved to turn around the institution into centre of excellence in the world.

Speaking during launching of the Board, the Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism, Prof Jumanne Maghembe and the Board Chairman, Prof Faustine Bee, projected investment in improvement of the college infrastructure that would lure back many foreign students.

Prof Bee highlighted Board priorities as improvement of lecture rooms, library, hostels; human resource capital, employment of new staff in line to the needs as well as to improve their remunerations so as to retain current staff.

"We are ready to work with the ministry and the management of the college for reforms here and ensure it is revered as it used to be in the past and get back students from countries such as Botswana, Ghana, South Africa and others," said Prof Bee who is also Vice- Chancellor of Moshi Co-operative University (MoCU).

He, as well as Minister Maghembe noted that there are massive challenges ahead, as many things stalled since CAWM had no board of directors for the last five years.

President Magufuli appointed Prof Bee in March, this year, for a period of three years while the minister appointed other board members.

Outlining the way forward for CAWM, Prof Maghembe said he wants to see the college shine in the world, with its graduates been sought all over while its lecturers do thorough researches, present and publish them in international forum and journals respectively. "I want you guys to shine in the world and the only way is proper lecturing and thorough research.

No tutor without a doctorate degree should lecture undergraduate studies here. "You are already a centre of excellence in wildlife management in East Africa, but you are the premier wildlife management institution in Africa and still the premier wildlife conservation of tropical ecosystem in the world ...we had high quality training in the '70s a

"We are ready to work with the ministry and the management of the college for reforms here and ensure it is revered as it used to be in the past and get back students from countries such as Botswana, Ghana, South Africa and others," said Prof Bee who is also Vice- Chancellor of Moshi Co-operative University (MoCU).

He, as well as Minister Maghembe noted that there are massive challenges ahead, as many things stalled since CAWM had no board of directors for the last five years. President Magufuli appointed Prof Bee in March, this year, for and '80s, I now want that back.

Anybody anywhere should trace and know you," stressed Prof Maghembe in front of the board members and college staff.

He called upon lecturers to go for further studies and told CAWM Rector, Profr Alexander Songorwa that it is better they remain with shortage of tutors for even three years while the current ones are upgrading, instead of having those without doctorate degrees.

The minister who once worked at the college, noted that the college and staff to be dynamic and responsible and should be pace setters and not followers of world trend.

Tanzania: Boost for Southern Tourist Circuit

 

 Dodoma — The World Bank and other Development Partners are funding a special programme to facilitate tourism activities in Southern Tanzania, the National Assembly heard yesterday.

The programme dubbed REGROW, has received funding from the World Bank amounting to 100 million US dollars (over 2bn/-).

The Deputy Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, Mr Ramo Makani, said this yesterday when responding to Mr Hassan Kaunje (Lindi Urban-CCM), who wanted to know when the government would start implementing the ruling party's manifesto that, among other matters, stipulates that tourism activities in the southern zone will be improved.

"The 2015/2020 CCM election manifesto touched on developing tourism activities in the southern zone through a special programme. When will the government start implementing this requirement"? he asked.

In response, the deputy minister said that the government has outlined various strategies in its 2016/2017-2020/2021 development to be put in place to ensure a number of promises contained in the party's manifesto are implemented.

He noted that in the second Five Year Development Plan, the government seeks to open up opportunities in southern region which are vital in fuelling industrial economy. To achieve this, the deputy minister said the government is engaging private sector to invest in tourism infrastructure such as building hotels.

Mr Makani explained that in the same period, the ministry will ensure that through Public Private Partnership (PPP), it advertises historical features which are available in Lindi and Mtwara that will in turn attract tourists.

Arusha: Government to Evict Longido Mountain Invaders

Scores of livestock keepers and farmers who have invaded a forest reserve on Longido Mountain in Longido district, Arusha region have been ordered out.

The striking massif, located about 20 kilometers from the Namanga border town and 80 km north of Arusha, is a protected area and source of water for the district headquarters and adjacent villages. The officer in charge of Lands and Natural Resources department Eliya Samson Maiko told reporters last week that people who would not obey the order will be evicted by force.

"There are a significant number of people who have settled on the mountain to cultivate and graze cattle. That is unacceptable because this is a protected forest and a source of water", he said. He added that overgrazing of animals was already a major concern there and was courting a disaster in the drought prone district where large herds of livestock perished in 2009/2011 after a prolonged drought.

Although he could not give figures, the official said there was a significant number of a new settler high on the mountain with the forest zone now having patches due to vegetation clearing. The 2,637 meter high mountain also hosts wild animals, including members of the Big Five; leopards, elephants and buffaloes and is one of the three gazetted forest reserves in Longido district; the two others being on Kitumbeine and Gelai mountains in the Lake Natron basin.

The district forest officer Jacob Oforo Lyimo said tree felling for charcoal production was equally worrying and that it has been accelerated by the big demand of the fuel wood in Arusha city and Namanga town.

He added that the district authorities are working in collaboration with the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to enhance conservation of natural resources in the district through the wildlife management areas (WMAs).

In recent years, Longido has also attracted tourists, mainly tourist hunters bringing in the badly-needed cash to the local communities where the six hunting blocs are located and the district council. The area also falls under the cultural tourism programmer aimed to support the local Maasai people and support their lifestyle and culture. The programmer is managed by the Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB) and covers a dozen other districts in the northern zone regions.

The district has two WMAs where villagers enjoy funds generated from hunting and tourism. Longido has 39 villages and 95 per cent of its inhabitants depend on livestock for their livelihood. According to the official, 40 per cent of funds received from the ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism is channeled to conservation and 60 per cent for general expenditure.

The acting district executive director Ramadhani Musiba said the district has prepared a land use plan for all the villages and that it will include demarcation of village boundaries. The villagers are also sensitized to embrace participatory forest management (PFM) practices through the support of the African Wildlife Fund (AWF).

Tanzania orders drought-hit herders to leave National Parks

 

Drought-afflicted herders have been ordered to remove their cattle from Tanzania's national parks, where they had moved in a bid to find new food sources, the Tanzanian government said late on Monday.

Thousands of heads of cattle, goats and sheep have crossed into Tanzania from neighboring Kenya and Uganda in recent months searching for water and fresh pasture, according to government officials. This has placed increasing strains on the east African nation's wildlife and has affected the tourism industry, they said.

All herders - both foreign and Tanzanian - have until June 15 to remove their animals from the protected areas, Tanzanian vice president, Samia Hassan Suluhu, said on Monday. Failure to vacate the national parks will result in forceful eviction, she said.

"We would not want to see any livestock from either within or outside the country encroach and tamper with our national park ecosystems," Suluhu said. Worsening drought in many parts of east Africa had forced herders to move cattle into areas protected for wildlife in a desperate bid to find new food sources, she said.

Government officials said the situation has also sparked deadly conflict in some parts of the country as local farmers and pastoralists clash over dwindling pasture and water supplies.

Suluhu said it was estimated that as many as five million livestock from Uganda and Kenya were grazing and destroying the environment in the northern Kagera, Arusha and Geita regions.

"Livestock owners from outside Tanzania don't want to destroy their (own) environment. So they bring their animals to feed in Tanzania," she said. This is not the first time Tanzania has sought to remove cattle from protected wildlife areas.

Last year, government authorities were widely criticized for attempting to evict unauthorized squatters and their animals from the game reserves, said the Dar es Salaam-based Legal and Human Rights Centre. In a telephone interview with the Thomson Reuters Foundation, Daudi Kivanda, a herder in Tanzania's northern Geita region said that while he will heed the government's call, moving will not offer a lasting solution for farmers.

"The government promised to apportion special grazing areas (but) it hasn't fulfilled that promise. Where can we take our cattle to graze?" he said.

Tanzania has approximately 21 million head of cattle, the largest number in Africa after Ethiopia and Sudan, according to Ministry of Agriculture Livestock Development and Fisheries data. It estimates that livestock contributes to at least 30 percent of agricultural GDP.

However, wildlife conservationists are increasingly concerned about the impact of farming and livestock on national parks and game controlled areas. Stephano Qulli, chief park warden at the northern Tarangire National Park said the destruction of wildlife corridors due to overgrazing has threatened the population of wild animals, including wildebeest, which have suffered a population drop from more than two million to 1.5 million over the last decade.

"When human beings trespass in national parks, they destroy animal corridors which help wild animals in calving," he said.