Concerns raised over lack of Ebola screening at Kenya-Uganda water border

The focus of the response has largely been on airports and major land border points, with little attention paid to informal crossings along Kenya’s water borders with Uganda and Tanzania.

A spot check by Citizen TV at the Mulwanda crossing in Busia County found residents from Kenya and Uganda moving freely across River Sio, with no visible port health officers or health screening.

The crossing is an informal and historical route along the Kenya-Uganda border, where boat and boda boda operators ferry passengers, traders and goods between the two countries several times a day.

When Citizen TV visited the crossing, locals moved between the two countries without visible temperature checks or questions about possible Ebola symptoms.

The gap comes as Kenya intensifies its Ebola response following the confirmation and subsequent death of the country’s first case.

“Mambo na screening hapa hakuna. Kuhusu mambo na Ebola ijapokuwa huku haijafika, lakini kwa vile imesemekana iko pia sisi tunaweza kuwa kwa hatari. Tunavuka tu tunachangamana na Uganda. Mi nikitaka kuenda Uganda naenda tu anytime mchana na usiku,” Makoha Wanga, a Mulwanda resident, said.

Another resident said the community was largely unaware of the risks associated with the disease and continued to cross the border regularly to buy goods.

“We pia vile umeja unaona ni border tu tunajilinda. Hii story ya Ebola tunaskia tu kwenu, it’s a new story. We are not aware. Mi nikivuka hawani-charge, nakuja tu vile nataka hata mara tano kwa siku maana vitu mingi tunanunua huko,” Vincent Malingu, a Mulwanda resident, said.

Fishermen and traders interviewed said they had never undergone health screening when crossing between Kenya and Uganda.

They said there were no public health officials taking temperatures or asking travellers about symptoms, despite frequent movement between the two countries for fishing, trade and visits to relatives.

“Hakuna vipimo tunafanyiwa tukitoka hapa tukiingia Uganda na afadhali tusaidiwe mapema kuliko tu risk maisha yetu. Tuko kwa risk because ni border na hatujaletewa hao watu,” David Wandera, a Mulwanda resident, said.

Boda boda operators also said they make several trips across the border each day without undergoing screening.

“Kufikia sasa hakuna vipimo na hakuna mtu anazungumzia hizo vipimo. Sisi vijana wa boda boda stage ya Mulwanda, kwa siku tunaweza kuenda na kurudi huko mara kama mbili,” Jeremiah Buor, a Mulwanda resident, said.

The Busia County Government attributed the situation partly to a shortage of health workers, saying it would be difficult to maintain round-the-clock surveillance at every informal crossing.

“You cannot put people on red alert for 24 hours for three months. The panya routes are crossing points nonetheless. Because of the shortage of health workers that we have, we have a challenge,” Arthur Odera, Busia County health CEC, said.

With frequent movement of people and goods across the water border, the situation in Mulwanda highlights the challenge of extending disease surveillance beyond formal airports and major land border points as Kenya works to contain Ebola.