Kampala is tightening its borders. Faced with the Ebola epidemic devastating the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo, the Ugandan government announced a series of strict border measures on Sunday, October 25. From now on, any Ugandan returning home after a stay in the DRC will have to spend 21 days in quarantine, entirely at their own expense.
Health Minister Chris Baryomunsi made the announcement at a press conference in the capital. The measures go well beyond isolating travellers. Health screening has been stepped up at Entebbe International Airport, at all land border crossings and at several road checkpoints. Only essential travel between the two countries is still allowed, mainly for humanitarian workers and truck drivers, who must undergo mandatory screening. Congolese nationals who do not fall into these categories will be sent back to the DRC through the nearest entry point, also at their own cost. In another notable restriction, anyone who has stayed in the DRC is now barred from transiting through Ugandan territory, including on charter flights.
This crackdown did not come out of nowhere. Two travellers who passed through Entebbe airport on the same day, October 3, later tested positive after arriving in Kenya and Nigeria. The first, a Kenyan businessman, had come from the DRC and crossed Uganda before flying to Nairobi. He died two days later, and Kenya has since confirmed eight more cases. The second patient landed in Abuja on a flight from Uganda, becoming the first confirmed case in Africa’s most populous country.
Ugandan authorities firmly reject the idea that either infection occurred on their soil. Government spokesperson Alan Kasujja called it absurd to suggest that a holiday in Uganda could explain the Nigerian case. According to Kampala, the patient had travelled to eastern DRC and only transited through the country. The issue nonetheless remains sensitive. Swiss authorities believe that a Ugandan-born woman married to a Swiss diplomat contracted the virus during a visit to Uganda in September, while the WHO says it has no information showing that she herself travelled to the DRC.
Officially, Uganda is Ebola-free. The country recorded 20 cases, including two deaths, almost all among people returning from the DRC, before declaring its own outbreak over this summer. The minister insists no confirmed case has been reported since. He also said that the 60 people monitored in Uganda after possible contact with the Kenyan patient have completed their 21 days of observation. The ministry acknowledges, however, that the end of local transmission does not eliminate the risk, given the close commercial, family and human ties on both sides of the border. Meanwhile, Kampala has sent experts to the DRC to support the response.
Across the border, the situation remains alarming. First detected in May in Ituri province, the epidemic has now spread to eight Congolese provinces, making it the largest ever recorded in the country. As of October 20, the WHO had counted 9,704 cases and 4,687 deaths there. The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain, for which no vaccine or specific treatment is yet available. The 21-day quarantine period matches the maximum time it can take for symptoms to appear.
Uganda’s decision does, however, run counter to the World Health Organization’s position. In its October 23 update, the UN agency called for stronger surveillance and cross-border cooperation, while advising against any restrictions on travel or trade with affected countries.
