Leader of the Opposition Joel Ssenyonyi wants the government to explain why Ugandans continue to face travel restrictions and stigma abroad despite the country being declared Ebola-free in July 2026.
The Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, Joel Ssenyonyi, has asked the government to explain why some Ugandans continue to face travel restrictions abroad despite the country being declared Ebola-free.
Ssenyonyi raised the matter during Wednesday’s parliamentary sitting chaired by Speaker Jacob Marksons Oboth, following a request for legislators from Ebola-affected areas to attend a health conference on Uganda’s Ebola response at Speke Resort Munyonyo on Thursday.
“Uganda was declared Ebola-free, but Ugandans are still facing travel bans and restrictions in other countries. Government should explain why these bans remain and what it is doing to have them lifted,” Ssenyonyi said.
Government Chief Whip Jane Ruth Aceng, a former health minister, confirmed that Uganda had been declared Ebola-free but pointed to continued transmission in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and cross-border movements as concerns influencing decisions by other countries.
“It is true Uganda was declared Ebola-free and is still Ebola-free, but there is still a challenge of porous borders with the Democratic Republic of Congo where Ebola continues to affect hundreds of people,” Aceng said.
She added that the government was engaging foreign countries to reconsider restrictions imposed on Ugandans.
“We are engaging foreign countries to reconsider lifting the travel bans on Uganda,” she said.
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared Uganda’s 2026 Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak over on August 27, following 42 consecutive days without a new confirmed case.
The outbreak recorded 20 confirmed cases and two deaths in Uganda.
However, the outbreak in the DRC has continued, with more than 9,000 confirmed cases reported by October 13, according to the country’s public health authorities. Kenya has also reported imported cases linked to the outbreak.
WHO has advised countries against imposing travel or trade restrictions on Uganda and the DRC based on the available outbreak information, warning that such measures can disrupt movement and economic activity without providing a sound public-health benefit.
The continued regional outbreak has nevertheless raised concerns about cross-border transmission and the effectiveness of screening at points of entry.
Parliament is expected to receive further briefings at Thursday’s health conference in Munyonyo, where officials will review Uganda’s Ebola response, surveillance systems and prevention strategies.
The government’s engagement with foreign authorities is expected to address the restrictions raised by Ssenyonyi, although the specific countries maintaining the alleged travel bans and the nature of those restrictions were not identified during the parliamentary exchange.