ADJUMANI – The Ebola task force committee in Adjumani district has imposed an immediate ban on Congolese hawkers operating within the district, citing heightened concerns over transmission risks in the ongoing outbreak response.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The decision was reached during an emergency task force meeting convened to reinforce preventive measures in the district, which health officials have classified as high risk due to its porous border points with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Dr. Richard Atepo, the Adjumani district health inspector, noted that the hawkers’ frequent cross-border travel, often through unofficial entry points to restock goods, makes effective monitoring and disease surveillance extremely difficult.
He identified the major challenge as ensuring adherence to standard operating procedures in marketplaces without demarcation, thus encouraging DRC nationals to avoid moving around for the time being.
“The major challenge we are seeing now is the adherence to standard operating procedures at marketplaces without demarcation. We encourage the Congolese to avoid moving around for the meantime,” Atepo said.
Emmanuel Okware, the deputy resident district commissioner of Adjumani, confirmed that the committee had resolved to enforce an immediate ban on all hawking activities by Congolese nationals as a preventive measure.
He explained that the district hosts numerous hawkers of Congolese origin who still maintain access to people’s homes in Uganda, which puts residents at high risk.
“We have so many hawkers in the district who are of Congolese origin; we believe that they still have a way in which they access home, so the committee has resolved an immediate ban on all their activities,” Okware stated.
The task force further stressed the need for strict enforcement of standard operating procedures at taxi parks and markets to curb any potential spread of the virus.
Meanwhile, Arua City task force has also warned hotel owners against accommodating visitors from the neighboring DRC, citing concerns that many may be coming from high-risk areas where Ebola infections are reported.
According to Obed Collins Gatrude, the RDC Commissioner for West Nile, the new directives include mandatory health screenings in hotels, restrictions on public gatherings and workshops, among others.
He further announced the suspension of all border markets, though he noted that some of these measures are being undermined by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a sovereign state.
“We have told hotel owners in Arua City not to accept visitors from Congo, as many come from Ebola-risk areas. We have also closed all border markets, though measures are being blocked by the Congo, which is an independent country that we cannot control,” remarked Gatrude.
The Ministry of Health has since assured the public that there is no need for panic, stating that the situation remains under control and Uganda is safe, with 13 admissions, 4 discharges, and 2 deaths, both of which were among imported cases.
The Ministry updated that Uganda had recorded 19 total confirmed Ebola cases, including 14 imported cases and five Ugandans, with three new cases reported as of last week on Thursday, 5th June 2026.
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