Health and security officials in Kikuube District have intensified surveillance along the Uganda-DRC border following a Ministry of Health directive requiring learners crossing into Uganda from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to undergo a 21-day quarantine.

The heightened surveillance comes amid reports of continued Ebola transmission in the DRC and growing concerns over cross-border movements, particularly as Uganda begins the third school term.

Learners from the DRC are expected to cross into Uganda to access education in schools located in border communities, prompting authorities to strengthen screening and monitoring at entry points.

Godwin Angalia, the Kikuube Resident District Commissioner (RDC), said health workers, local leaders and security personnel had been directed to closely monitor border crossings and prevent unauthorised entry that could increase the risk of Ebola transmission.

Angalia warned that people attempting to enter Uganda illegally through porous border points would be placed under quarantine and could face action for violating public health guidelines.

Health officials continue to identify Kikuube as particularly vulnerable to the importation of Ebola because of its proximity to eastern DRC, where the disease remains a public health concern.

Uganda was officially declared Ebola-free on July 28, 2026, after completing the mandatory 42-day countdown without recording a new case. The declaration followed the discharge of the last confirmed Ebola patient on June 16.

Meanwhile, Kikuube District has reactivated Ebola screening centres along the shores of Lake Albert to ensure that people entering the district from the DRC are screened and monitored.

Authorities say the strengthened border measures are intended to prevent the reintroduction of Ebola into Uganda while facilitating the safe movement of learners and other travellers between the two countries.

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