Tricks traders use to avoid Ebola screening on Kenya-Uganda border
Traders move goods into Kenya from Uganda using the unofficial route at the porous Busia border on September 21, 2022.
Residents of Busia County are still sneaking into Uganda through porous border routes to evade screening for the Ebola virus by the Ministry of Health officials.
Traders from the Kenyan side have been crossing to Uganda to buy goods and foodstuff without being screened. This is happening at Sophia, Marachi and other porous border points which are not being manned by security officials.
But Ministry of Health officials in Busia and Malaba maintained they had intensified monitoring and screening of travellers entering the country from Uganda in the wake of fears of the spread of the Ebola virus to Kenya.
A medical officer at the Busia Port health facility said they are screening all travellers using gazetted entry points.
She said new cases of Ebola virus disease had been reported in Uganda, calling for intensified surveillance of travellers at the border.
“We have intensified the screening of travellers coming into the country from Uganda through Busia and Malaba. Ebola cases are still being reported in Uganda and that means we can't relax in the fight against the virus,” she said.
She added, “We have our officers deployed in all gazetted entry points along the Kenya-Uganda border, including all beaches along Lake Victoria in Funyula and Budalang’i sub-counties.”
However, business along the porous border routes in Sofia and Marachi areas in Busia town are going on as usual, posing a danger to Busia residents.
During a spot check at the Sofia area in Busia, people were crossing without being subjected to screening. This was also happening in Soko Matope and Marachi areas.
Budalang’i MP Raphael Wanjala said the government needs to take charge of the situation by carrying out screening of all travellers at Osieko and all landing beaches along Lake Victoria.
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“The Ministry of Health must find a way to stop the spread of Ebola. If they leave the matter to the county government, they will focus on Busia and Malaba border, forgetting that the border line runs all the way to Osieko. People travel to Jinja in Uganda and there are no medical staff on all beaches along the lake to examine them when they return home,” said Mr Wanjala.
Mr Bijiyobija James, a hawker from Kiadonde Sub County in Mbarara, Uganda, says he crosses daily to Kenya through Marachi areas without being screened for Ebola.
He said he had not seen a medical officer manning the porous routes which were being used by residents to cross into Uganda.
“I have never been screened for the Ebola virus while crossing into Uganda and coming back,” he said.
Busia County Health Chief Officer Dr Melisa Lutomia said the devolved unit had deployed medical officers in all porous routes in Busia and all the beaches along Lake Victoria to screen those crossing into the country from Uganda.
