Uganda Requires Returning Citizens From DR Congo to Fund 21-Day Isolation

Uganda’s health ministry announced on Sunday that citizens returning from the Democratic Republic of Congo must undergo a 21-day quarantine at their own expense. The directive aims to prevent the Ebola virus from entering the country during a severe outbreak in the neighboring state.

The new protocol also bars travelers from DR Congo from transiting through Ugandan territory. Health Minister Chris Baryomunsi told the BBC’s Newsday programme that only essential travelers will be admitted. He described the incoming measures as "intense public health measures" designed to "ensure that we keep Uganda free of Ebola." Authorities have increased screening at Entebbe International Airport and all land border crossings, with additional checks at specific road checkpoints.

The outbreak in DR Congo has claimed more than 4,800 lives since May, making it the deadliest in the country’s history. The virus has spread to several other nations. Uganda previously recorded 20 cases and two deaths early in the epidemic. The World Health Organization declared the country free of the disease in August, though officials remain cautious given the shared border and close community ties through trade and family.

The stricter controls follow the detection of two Ebola-positive cases in Kenya and Nigeria. Both individuals passed through Entebbe airport on the same day. Jean Kaseya, head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, identified the Nigerian patient as the Ugandan-born wife of a Swiss diplomat. She had traveled to Kampala for a holiday before visiting eastern DR Congo. The Kenyan patient was a businessman with interests in DR Congo. Diana Atwine, the health ministry’s permanent secretary, stated that CCTV footage showed no physical interaction between the two travelers.

The Kenyan businessman died two days after arriving in Nairobi. Kenya has since confirmed eight other cases, and a relative of the businessman died over the weekend. Ugandan officials said 60 people monitored for exposure to the Kenyan patient in Uganda have all been discharged. The ministry initially stated the Nigerian woman only transited through Uganda, but on Sunday it announced that Kampala and Abuja are working together to determine her full travel history and possible routes of exposure.

Baryomunsi noted that the recent cases demonstrate the risk has not passed. He emphasized the need for vigilance as transmission continues in DR Congo. The current outbreak involves the Bundibugyo species of the virus, which is relatively rare. There is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment for this strain, though clinical trials are underway.