Imagine showing up to work only to find the road closed, soldiers everywhere, and your entire day’s income at risk, that’s the reality for traders at Uganda’s Kasindi-Lubiriha border right now.

Uganda has slammed shut the busy Kasindi-Lubiriha border crossing with the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the ripple effects are already hitting hard. The move comes as both countries scramble to contain a fresh Ebola outbreak, cbinews.tv reports.

Footage from Bwera on Thursday paints a tense picture: stranded traders, lorries going nowhere, and a heavy mix of police and military keeping watch. Health teams aren’t taking chances either they’re out in force at entry points, checking temperatures and spraying down everyone who passes through.

It’s not a total lockdown. Congolese traders who’d popped over for business were told to head straight back to the DRC. Ugandans coming home from Congo? They can get through, but only under strict checks and restrictions.

Lt Maate Magwara, Deputy Resident District Commissioner for Bukonzo County, didn’t mince his words: “The UPDF is going to intensify patrols along those porous points to make sure there is no crossing anywhere between Uganda and DRC.” He stressed the measures are temporary, but vital to stop Ebola slipping across from affected areas in the DRC.

For traders, though, “temporary” doesn’t pay the bills. The market that sits right on the border is shut too, and people are worried.

“Our fish will spoil,” said trader Virina Mulebanda. “We’ve been selling most of it to Congolese nationals, so with the border closed, our business is going to suffer.”

Driver Benard Sigei told cbinews.tv that screening has ramped up on both sides. *“In the DRC they’re screening us before leaving, and in Uganda they’re screening us coming in,”* he said.

And there’s another fear bubbling up. Bwambale Stanley, who chairs the vendors at the Mpondwe Border Export Zone, warned the closure could backfire. “The situation is worse. It’s not good,” he said, adding that desperate traders might start using risky, unofficial routes to get across.

Both Uganda and the DRC declared the outbreak on May 15 after lab tests confirmed Bundibugyo virus disease. The WHO stepped in fast, declaring it a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on May 17.

The numbers are sobering. As of May 21, the WHO said the DRC had logged 83 confirmed cases and nine deaths, plus 746 suspected cases and 176 suspected deaths. More recent reports suggest it’s now topped 900 suspected cases with around 220 suspected deaths.

For now, Uganda’s border is closed to regular movement. The only exceptions? Ebola response teams, humanitarian ops, cargo, food transport and security movements, all under strict screening.

#EbolaOutbreak #UgandaDRCBorder #PublicHealth #KasindiLubiriha #EastAfricaNews #cbinews #BorderClosure #Uganda #DRC