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The Story Behind Black Star News: A Diaspora Founded New York Weekly

You may have heard of Black Star News, a New York-based and Ugandan-founded investigative newspaper, whose critical coverage of Uganda and metropolitan New York issues has made a name for its founder, Milton Allimadi. Ugandans Abroad wanted to pick his brain about the business, and share the insights he’s gleaned with other African entrepreneurs in the diaspora.

Black Star News initially ran as a monthly metropolitan newspaper, but transitioned to a weekly newspaper so it could run more current movie listings, which has helped the publication to survive. Although there is a market in reaching advertisers who want to target black consumers in New York, the recent recession took a large hit on the investigative weekly.

When the publication first started, it hit a chicken-and-egg scenario, where you couldn’t get ads without being known, but needed the revenue to invest in your publication.

The publication was founded with an investment by Bill and Camille Cosby, after Allimadi sent them a copy of his business plan. Black Star News’ first ad came from the Independent Savings Bank, which had once advertised with the City Sun, where Allimadi had worked before founding his own paper.

The bank, which is now part of Sovereign Bank, took out two full-page ads in the Black Star News.

Getting the initial first corporate ad was a huge boon. “’You get them, and you want to show that to every other advertiser,” said Allimadi. To figure out the rates for his publication, he looked at rates for other established publications like the Amsterdam News, a black publication that launched in 1909, and discounted them. Back then, he says that it was a question of time.

“Advertisers tell you from the get-go, come back in five years,” he told Ugandans Abroad. “I tried to make the calls as much as possible to sell ads, and do the writing and editing at night.” Now, he has staff members that sell ads full-time, freeing him to focus on journalism.

“The call is very efficient now,” he said, since the paper has been building relationships with advertisers for years. Before, he says, he “was just calling and playing the numbers.” As the paper got scoops, they were featured in media outlets that ranged from CNN to the New York Post and the New York Daily News, which helped bolster his relationship with advertisers. “

There’s some recognition,” he said. The recession, however, really damaged the relationships between publications throughout New York and advertisers, who slashed their budgets. “The recession was really, really bad on us,” Allimadi said. “It almost knocked us down.”

To survive, the weekly reduced its page count and cut their paper size, and cut the frequency that they came out for a few months, combining some of their issues to make ends meet.

Things have improved since the economy began to recover, to Allimadi’s relief. “It’s like night and day,” he said. In a 20-page newspaper, Black Star News typically sells about four to five pages of ads, some with multiple runs. They all sell ads on their website, which they hope to focus on more down the road. The newspaper is still “the bread and butter,” he says.

Their pockets are not as deep as other publication, and they rely only on freelancers, which helps them control costs. “I think our market is relatively untapped for African-American readership,” he said. “You can operate a profitable daily.”

The paper is focused on increasing its print runs and their advertising resources, and hopes to tap into a vacuum left by the Village Voice for investigative journalism. The Village Voice recently let go of veteran city reporter Wayne Barrett and lost Tom Robbins, a loss the newspaper might not survive.

“You wouldn’t believe the number of stories we have in the pipeline,” he said. “We want it to be a decent paper and viable as a business.”

For entrepreneurs interested in creating businesses that cater to African and Caribbean immigrants, as well as Latinos, Allimadi believes that the market is huge. “The demand is here,” he said. “Just create the medium.”

Tourism in Uganda and Rwanda

Both Uganda and Rwanda are found in East African community and their economies are based on tourism as a major income generating sector.

Both countries have booming tourism sectors strengthened by the presence of Mountain Gorillas. The Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and Mgahinga Forest national park in Uganda hosts mountain gorillas.

Both Countries also host Chimpanzees – the chimps are considered as our close relatives and the second thought for option after Gorilla trekking. Rwanda’s chimpanzees are found in Nyungwe Forest national park while in Uganda, the chimps are found in Budongo forest, Kyambura Gorge, Kibale forest national park and semliki national park.

Both Rwanda and Uganda are neighboring countries which makes it easier for the tourists to combing the two nations. Some of the safari itineraries are combing safaris in Rwanda and Uganda.

Rwanda and Uganda are politically stable to create a favorable ground for tourism to prevail.

Mountain Gorilla trekking is the major tourism activities in both Uganda and Rwanda, followed by Chimpanzee trekking.

Differences between Uganda and Rwanda Tourism sector:

Uganda’s tourism sector is based on ten national parks: kidepo Valley national park, Murchison Falls national park, Kibale forest National park, Mountain Rwenzori national park, Semliki National park, Mountain Elgon National park, Lake Mburo National park Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National park and Mgahinga Forest national park while Rwanda is tourism sector based on three national parks including Akagera national park, Nyungwe Forest National park and Volcanoes national park.

Rwanda Development Board (RDB) is the government arm responsible for all tourism activities in Rwanda likewise Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) in Uganda.

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest currently hosts Fourteen mountain gorilla groups while Volcanoes National park with ten habituated mountain gorillas.

Gorilla habituation is done in Uganda (4hours viewing Gorillas) while Rwanda has no Gorilla habituation activity at the moment.

Uganda has two parks where Gorilla trekking is conducted (Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National park and Mgahinga National park.

Uganda has five trekking centres namely: Buhoma sector, Ruhija sector, Nkuringo Sector, Rushaga sector and the one in Mgahinga National park.

You can enjoy a classic safari in Rwanda within only the Akagera National Park. This savanna national park is only destination where you can enjoy game drives.  In Uganda; game drive is done in Kidepo valley National park, Murchison falls national park, Lake Mburo National park, Semliki national park.

Uganda Road Requirements For Vehicles and Drivers

By East African standards, Uganda major roads are generally in good condition. Surfaced roads radiate out from Kampala, running east to Jinja, Busia, Mbarara Tororo, Mbale and Soroti, south to Entebbe, southwest to Masaka, northwest to Gayaza and Kayunga (and on Jinja). As a rule, however, Uganda, un surfaced roads tend to be very variable from one season to the next, with conditions likely to be most tricky during the rains and least so towards the end of the dry season. Even in this generalization, an isolated downpour can do major damage to a road that was in perfectly good condition a day earlier, while the arrival of a grader can transform a potholed 4×4 track into a road navigable by any salon car.

Driving in Uganda is interesting, a bit more challenging than other East Africa and Southern Africa countries. You definitely need to be a defensive driver. During yourself drive, just drive defensively when buses and minibus-taxis are around as their drivers are crazy. These are now the main hazard on Ugandan roads aside from unexpected potholes. Minibus-taxi drivers in particular have long been given to overtaking on blind corners, and speed limits are universally ignored except when enforced by road conditions.

As a big threat as minibus-taxis these days are the spanking new coaches that bully their way along trunk routes at up to 120km/h. You will be overtaken by big buses carrying over 70 passengers traveling at excessive speeds, oncoming traffic appears to be heading straight at you. People pass in curves, on a hillside and each day one reads of accidents that result in loss of lives and sometimes in great numbers. Keep an eye in the rear-view (driving) mirror and if necessary pull of the road in advance to let the closing loony past. Other than them you won’t see much traffic outside of Kampala, except on the road to Jinja and the Kenyan border.

The best thing however is to hire a car and a driver, and not just any but a well maintained vehicle and a safe driver that follows the rules.  Not easy to find either one of those. We hire only the best driver guides who have been to almost every corner of East Africa and know the twists and turns of every safari destination, – and feel a concern for the well being of our client. Driving at night can drive you mad and you should avoid the habit of driving without lights. Most Ugandans have this habit of driving without lights. To be more perfect, hire a vehicle and a driver and enjoy your road trip in Uganda and East Africa as a whole.

You will meet lots of very friendly and helpful people. If you are unfortunate enough to have a puncture remember to get out of the way of the rush of local people wanting to help change the wheel for you. Drivers in Uganda are very aggressive and keep you on the edge of your seat. Though I’ve mainly been around Kampala, so of course driving in the city is much more intense than in the rural areas. If you do plan to drive definitely have someone go with you for the first few drives, as driving on the left side, and amidst tons of minibus taxi’s and motor scooters is crazy. Overall the people are welcoming and helpful if you do happen to need help.

If you hire a decent car you probably won’t have any breakdown problems, fuel is available all around the country and there might be an occasional roadblock at Owen Falls Dam, Jinja, and a customs one on the way to the southwest. No one will try and solicit a bribe from you, unlike some other countries. Fuel is expensive in Uganda – the equivalent of around US$1.4 per litre for petrol and slightly less for diesel. If you are arriving overland its worth stocking up before you enter the country.

Contact us for the kind of car of your choice either on line or by directly visiting our offices. All our rates are fully inclusive of insurance, local taxes on unlimited mileage basis. Our company considers value for money and also covers great rates and outstanding customer service.

Buying a House in Uganda: 7 Things To Consider

Your home should be a place of rest that shields you from the stress of the outside world. However, deciding whether to buy a home can itself be a stressful decision requiring you set aside every emotion and consider all the pros and cons of that decision. Here are seven thoughts to help take the stress out of the decision making process:

1. Change your thinking: If you think that you would be automatically happier in your own house than in a rental, you may need to reconsider. Renting a property provides for a lot of flexibility that owning a house does not. Whether you are single in a bedsitter or a couple in a one bedroom the continued comfort of both yourself and others in your life should be your first concern.
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2. Who calls the shots: As a tenant, you are always at the mercy of your landlord. You cannot wake him/her up in the middle of the night to come and fix a leaking tap. Does that bother you? If it does then it’s better to own your own place so that you do not have to wait a month with a leaking roof and cracked walls before it warrants your landlord’s attention. That said, if you own you’re responsible for every dripping tap which means getting out the tool box or paying for those repairs!
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3. Having a place to call your own: Sitting on your front porch knowing that a place is actually is yours is a feeling you can’t beat! As long as you keep up with your mortgage payments, you will not have to worry about being thrown out on the curb or constant rent increases.
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4. A home can be an investment: If you own your own place you start to build equity for yourself whereas each year that you live in rented apartment, you are growing the equity of the property owner. Equity is the difference between the market price of your house and the amount owed on the mortgage if you sold it. As you pay down your mortgage you gain equity.
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5. Do you have the cash? Few people can afford to pay outright for a house with cash. This means getting a mortgage and even with a mortgage you will need some money for a deposit and the costs incurred during the transaction. If you’re going to buy you’ll need to plan ahead so that it will be a painless process and remember that it’s never too late to start saving!
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6. View home ownership as a long-term relationship: If you’re going to buy make sure that you’re in love with your home – no matter what flaws you may discover soon after you move into it. Part of the monthly mortgage repayment goes to servicing your debt and paying interest on your loan. The debt does not decrease simply by the amount you pay each month. Selling your house shortly after buying it could prove costly so be prepared to stay put for a number of years.
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7. Look before you leap! Buying a house is a big commitment you should consider carefully before you make the decision. It involves serious financial implications that could cause major stress if you misjudge your ability to meet your obligations. If you aren’t prepared to deal with the problems you just might need to hang onto your rented apartment a little while longer.

Whether you chose to rent or buy a home remember a home is what and where you make it.

How To Buy A Car in Uganda

It’s rare to see a new car on Kampala’s streets as used cars are plentiful and the roads are punishing to old and new alike. In fact, most of the cars which are imported from abroad, usually Japan, and sold as ‘new’ in Uganda are actually already a few years old. If you’re considering a car purchase here are a few things to think through and options for finding that new set of wheels.

It sounds like an obvious place to start, but it’s important to first, consider your price range. This is not just for the car; remember to budget extra for insurance and URA logbook transfer. This will most likely dictate the type of car you are looking for. By the time you consider the cost of insurance (mandatory to keep your car on the road), the cost of logbook transfer and the cost of having a mechanic check the vehicle over and fix any small problems, you are probably looking at 500,000 UGX on top of the price you started with. So if you’re looking to spend six million on a car, you will most likely need to budget 6.5 million.

Now, you’re ready to start looking. But where to look? There are a number of places where vehicles are traded privately. Online, there is The Eye Trade (www.eyetrade.ug), or Google Trader Uganda (http://www.google.co.ug/local/trader) where sellers post their vehicles for sale. Whilst this gives a good picture of what’s available, it’s important to exercise caution – occasionally fake ads are put up.

When you’re looking for a car everyone will ask if you have been to ‘The Bonds’. These ‘bonds’ are actually ‘bonded warehouses’ which are large secured car parks of vehicles which have been imported into Uganda, but have not had the import taxes paid on them. These import duties are paid when the car leaves the ‘bond’, so make sure you are clear on what needs to be paid within the price of the vehicle. And don’t forget to bargain hard! It is normal to come and go many times over months in order to get the price you want. These bonds are found all over Kampala, often around Bugolobi/Industrial Area and up the Jinja Road. It is worth asking friends’/colleagues’ experience of bonds to find one with a good reputation and good stock. Big and well-known ones include Chatha Motors, Al-Malik, Spear and Ramzan.

There are also a number of private car dealers in Kampala. They are usually just guys who either work in the bonds or know people who are selling cars. They make their money by agreeing a percentage cut with the seller and then ‘market’ the car for that person. Obviously, the higher price they get you to agree to the more money they make. Good dealers might know quite a bit about the car they’re selling but often they know very little.

Lastly, a number of sellers post paper ads in public places such as Oasis Mall, Garden City or Quality Hill. Often these are expats leaving the country and wanting to sell their vehicles. This can sometimes result in a good bargain as people are desperate to sell before departing and may be willing to accept a lower price. However, just make sure that it’s not a vehicle with diplomatic/NGO ‘red plates’. These vehicles have not had the import duty paid on them when they are purchased by approved organisations. However when they are then sold on the open market, the duty must be paid on them, and this can add millions to the cost of the car. Be sure to check the duty status!

When reviewing your car options make sure to ask as many questions as possible. A well-informed buyer will be better able to negotiate. Bringing a mechanic or friend who knows about cars to view them is also sensible. In any case, it is wise to have a mechanic look over any vehicle which you are considering purchasing. It is a worthwhile investment since they may spot expensive underlying problems which might not reveal themselves until you drive the vehicle away!

Once you’ve found your vehicle you want to consider a couple of things. Car deals are usually straightforward in Uganda. The buyer stumps the cash. The seller receives it and turns over the keys. Often there’s not even a contract and cars are ‘as is’. From there the seller will also need to transfer the ‘log book’ to you. This can be a process that takes from a few days to several weeks and has little-to-no actual impact on who is driving the vehicle. A new logbook process was initiated in 2012 so any seller that doesn’t have a ‘new’ logbook will have to apply for a new one prior to being able to make a logbook transfer to you. The logbook transfer will mean getting a Tax Identification Number (TIN), if you don’t have one already, and going down to the URA a couple of times unless you pay someone to do this for you – and often they still want to see the seller and/or buyer in person. You will also need to set up a URA account online which is fairly straightforward with the directions the URA gives you but time consuming.

Given the amount of scrapes, knocks and accidents that happen on a daily basis on Kampala’s streets you should drive directly to the insurance office once you get the logbook. Far too many people find they have a terrible accident just when they were going to get insurance. ‘Third Party’ insurance is the minimum legal requirement to keep your car on the road. This can be purchased from all major insurance providers, but also from most petrol stations. Look out for the signs on the forecourts. For ‘comprehensive’ insurance, consider getting quotes from the major suppliers. These include Chartis, Jubilee and UAP. Although the premiums are much more expensive than the third party option, they will cover you for a range of accident repairs, and for vehicle theft.

How Much Does a Gorilla Tour Cost

To many visitors to Uganda, Seeing mountain gorillas in Africa is one of the top tourist attractions that is cherished by every travelers to the continent. As one of the most incredible wildlife experiences found in Uganda, Rwanda and Congo, it’s believed that only 900 endangered living mountain gorillas live in the three countries. The Unique opportunity of seeing gorillas in their natural home comes with some total gorilla safari cost that surprise tourists at the time of inquiry and booking. Gorilla permits, accommodation, transport, tourist Visa and tour expert are the five things that confuse tourists wondering why gorilla safari prices are high or low.

Gorilla Permits

When planning a gorilla trekking safari in Africa, it’s very essential to first book your gorilla permits with your right tracking dates before any other thing for the safari because a slight change in your tracking dates can change your travel plans and even affects your Air ticket dates. If you to track gorillas in Rwanda, gorilla permits cost $1500, $600 for Uganda and $400 for Congo. In Rwanda if you explore more other national parks of Nyungwe forest and Akagera, you get 30% Discount. Other discounts follow you if you visit Uganda and Congo in low season months. Though gorilla tracking is known by many travelers across the globe, very few have been able to experience the lifetime wildlife encounter of meeting gorillas face to face in the jungle forest. However, the cost of your gorilla safari tour in Africa depends on the choice of the gorilla trekking destination.

Tourist Visa

The majority of tourist visas can be obtained at either the boarder or international airport upon arrival and tourist  to Africa on gorilla tracking tours are advised to budget for the cost of a tourist visa at the time of trip planning so that it doesn’t come by surprised. Rwanda tourist visa go for $30, Congo tourist visa go for $100 and Uganda tourist visa go for $50 all valid for a period of 90 days. However, some travelers don’t need tourist visas to Rwanda but they must have one for Uganda or Democratic Republic of Congo if they are to track mountain gorillas in Bwindi Forest national park, Mgahinga national Park and Virunga National park.

Transport

No matter where you track gorillas in Africa, your transport means will be of key importance to your safety and leisure. There are many ways of transportation for gorilla safari tours and each depends on the tourist interest and budget. The majority of tourist use safari land cruisers with a pop up ideal for photography and wildlife viewing. Its also the best safari vehicle if you going to explore other wildlife parks in the country. Some tourists feel comfortable to go on a self driving trip, some backpacking and others flying to and from gorilla park. Be sure that all gorilla safari means of transport cost differently and are charged per day. One on a flying safari must pay a higher gorilla safari price than the one using a private safari landcruiser.Ans still the one on self drive pays much more than the one on a backpacking trip.

Safari Accommodation

All gorilla national parks, Virunga, Bwindi, Mgahinga, Volcanoes and Kahuzi Biega offer variety of accommodation facilities to all types of visitor’s luxury and budget. The choice depends on the traveler and interest but variety is surely available for everyone. Make a right choice of your gorilla safari accommodation and sleep in comfort a night before you ultimate wildlife experience in Africa. The time is now to enjoy the life time experience since it’s anticipated to more expensive in the future.

Get Discounted Uganda Gorilla Permits for 2017-2019

Is gorilla tracking top on your bucket list this year, next year or the other year and you want to track mountain gorillas with discounted gorilla permits? Uganda  also known as the pearl of Africa is the only place  to be  where huge discounts are given to all tourists  for the months of April, May and November. The introductions of discounts on gorilla permits make gorilla tours cheap and affordable for many travelers not only in low season but all year.

Be one of those to track mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park by reserving your gorilla permit in time among the 120 gorilla permits sold per day by Uganda Wildlife Authority in both parks with only 8 in Mgahinga and the rest for Bwindi impenetrable. It’s during the low season when budget travelers explore the beautiful country of Uganda and experience the top tourist’s attractions without spending much. However, all tourists planning to track gorillas on budget in Africa, low season months are the best.

Forget the belief that low season months in Uganda are rainy seasons when roads are impassable and forest jungles are too muddy because it’s the opposite. Rainy seasons in Uganda are not actually rain seasons but they are just like other months of the year because it rains on just specific days and at times you may spend a full week without seeing any drop of rain. So go ahead and plan your Uganda gorilla safari tour at cheapest rates for low season that are a result of discounted gorilla permits.

The other advantage of tracking gorillas in low season months is that many tourists tend skip eyes off this period so few of them visit the country for gorilla tourism hence getting a chance to experience a marvelous feeling   in the entire jungle forest. April, May and November are the only months when gorilla permits in Uganda cost $450 per trek from the usual price of $600.Foreign tourists save $150  per trek a good amount to cater for other travel essentials like accommodation and transport. For those foreigners living in Uganda with work permit, gorilla permits cost only $400 for low season. Comparing Uganda gorilla permit prices with that of Rwanda another gorilla tracking destination in the region that sales permits at $1500 all year without low season. Uganda is simply a perfect place for cheap gorilla safari tours in Africa for all kinds of travelers- Budget and luxury.

While in Uganda, there is much more to see and experience including wildlife, chimpanzees, monkeys, culture, landscape, lakes, falls, Birds, mountains, among others. Amazingly even accommodation facilities in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park offer discounts to tourists during low season and it’s another factor that make Uganda gorilla tours cheap and unforgettable. Get a life changing experience with gorillas in Bwindi forest and Mgahinga on your gorilla trekking safari in Africa and save big for the future.

KCCA Launches MTN Mobile Money Payments

For the first time since the launch of MTN Mobile Money in 2009, individuals and companies can now easily effect payment for licenses, fines, taxes and other fees to Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) using a secure and trusted platform.

This follows the signing of a partnership between KCCA and MTN Uganda that will enable members of the public and businesses pay for various City Authority taxes and levies. This service guarantees convenience to the customer and a more effective revenue collection mechanism for KCCA.

Commenting on the partnership, MTN’s General Manager Financial Services Phrase Lubega said,“Prior to the launch the KCCA solution, overall figures indicated that more than 85 percent of mobile bill payment collections in Uganda are made through the MTN Mobile Money platform.”

“Continuing to integrate mobile money into mainstream financial services will therefore further expand the digital financial ecosystem which in turn will facilitate further delivery of financial inclusion for all persons across Uganda,” he added.

Commenting on this partnership, KCCA’s Executive Director Jennifer Musisi said; “Today’s event presents a historic moment for both KCCA and MTN as it seeks to broaden the existing Revenue collection channels by bringing on board mobile money services to facilitate KCCA fees collection.”

This development means MTN Mobile Money subscribers can now simply utilize the Mobile Money menu, via *165#, to effect their payments to KCCA.

How the Service Works

1. Dial *165#
2. Select Option 9 (Fees and Taxes) on the second screen
3. Select Option 2 (KCCA)
4. You will be asked to enter the Payment Reference Number which you will have obtained from KCCA based on the nature of your payment.
5. Enter Amount (that you wish to pay)
6. Enter Mobile Money PIN

The customer will receive a confirmation message after the transaction has been completed.