At the busy border crossing, traders, truck drivers and travellers continue to move across the frontier under strict screening procedures, as authorities attempt to balance public health safety with uninterrupted cross-border trade.
Kasese District shares a porous border of more than 60 kilometres stretching from Lake Edward to the Rwenzori Mountains, a stretch that supports deep social and economic ties between communities on both sides of the Uganda–DRC frontier.
Health officials say this high level of interaction has increased the risk of cross-border disease transmission, prompting stepped-up surveillance in recent weeks.
Despite these concerns, district officials have reassured residents that no Ebola cases have been detected in Kasese or among border communities. Authorities say the district remains on high alert but stable.
Lieutenant Magwara Maate, the Deputy Resident District Commissioner in charge of Bukonzo County, said the focus has shifted to early detection, community sensitisation and strengthening response systems in anticipation of any possible case importation.
“We have not registered any Ebola case in Kasese District, including at the border areas, but we remain alert because of the continued cross-border movements between Uganda and DRC,” Lt. Maate said.
He added that joint security and health teams have intensified screening at official border points, including temperature checks and handwashing stations, while discouraging the use of ungazetted crossing routes that are harder to monitor.
Authorities have also urged residents to use only designated entry points where surveillance systems are active, saying this is critical to detecting suspected cases early and preventing unnoticed spread within communities.
The developments come as Uganda steps up nationwide Ebola preparedness following confirmation of imported cases linked to the ongoing outbreak in DR Congo, which has prompted enhanced border controls and public health interventions in high-risk districts.
In Kasese, plans are underway to upgrade the isolation facility at Bwera General Hospital to strengthen the district’s emergency response capacity. The facility, which was previously used during the Covid-19 response and later for Mpox cases, is now being reinforced to handle any potential Ebola admissions.
Lt. Maate said the district is working with the Ministry of Health and development partners to ensure the facility is adequately equipped for rapid isolation and treatment if needed.
“We want to improve the Bwera isolation facility so that if any case emerges, the district is ready to respond immediately without panic,” he said.
Health officials maintain that strengthening surveillance systems, improving isolation capacity, and sustaining community awareness campaigns remain key pillars in preventing Ebola transmission across Uganda’s western border districts, even as cross-border trade continues under strict monitoring.