The Kanungu District Task Force has officially reopened the local economy, lifting all internal public health and business restrictions following the Ministry of Health’s national declaration of Uganda as Ebola-free.
The decision was reached during a task force meeting today, Wednesday morning, July 29, 2026, held at the District Health Boardroom. Chaired by the Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Mr. Ambrose Mwesigye Amanyire, the District task force Chairperson, the leadership reviewed the district’s public health status, celebrated the national milestone, and mapped out a controlled reopening strategy to boost local livelihoods while safeguarding public health.
The Task Force resolved to immediately ease all internal, in-district Ebola-related restrictions. Citizens across Kanungu District can now resume normal daily economic and social life.
Under the new directives, weekly local markets and general business operations have been fully cleared to reopen. Entertainment venues, including bars and disco halls, alongside sports events, athletics, and soccer competitions, are once again permitted. Additionally, social gatherings, family parties, church events, and parental visitation days in schools have been allowed to proceed.
To maintain safety standards during this transition, departmental and sectoral heads have been tasked with actively supervising the reopenings across all sectors.
Despite internal relaxation, RDC Ambrose Mwesigye emphasized that Kanungu remains a vulnerable, high-risk border district due to active Ebola cases continuing across the border in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
To prevent any potential importation of the virus, all official border points including Kyeshero and Ishasha as well as informal entry paths along the frontier remain strictly closed to cross-border trade and movement. Security forces have been mandated to enforce the border shutdown until formal technical guidance is issued by the Ministry of Health.
Providing a broader health briefing, District Health Officer (DHO) Can. Dr. Birungi Mutahunga clarified that the official 42-day Ebola countdown was calculated from the last local case rather than imported cases. He urged the public not to lower their guard, confirming that active community reporting and Village Health Team (VHT) trainings remain ongoing under the One Health approach.
The Task Force also addressed other pressing public health and agricultural challenges in the district:
A recent Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) patient was successfully managed and discharged from the Kihihi Infectious Diseases Treatment Unit (ITU). Active surveillance continues after four traced contacts tested negative out of 33 monitored contacts.
The Ministry of Health has rolled out Insecticide Treated Nets (ITNs) across parishes along the western stretch of the district, with Nyakashure Parish set to receive its allocation in the coming days. Requests for Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) in schools and homes have also been submitted to the Ministry.
Officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) confirmed the presence of Rift Valley Fever (RVF) antibodies in local livestock, with additional tests for Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) currently under evaluation. MAAIF announced a new national policy requiring farmers to fully fund livestock vaccinations moving forward.
The District Production Department will reactivate local community networks to guide farmers through the new vaccination scheme.
The District Task Force reiterated that key Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) protocols remain mandatory across public, commercial, and institutional spaces. Members of the public are required to maintain regular handwashing with soap or alcohol-based hand rubs, undergo temperature checks at entrances, observe sensible social distancing, and adhere strictly to the ban on handshakes and hugs.
To ensure clear public communication, RDC Mwesigye and joint technical teams from health, agriculture, and veterinary services will conduct sensitization broadcasts on Kanungu FM on Wednesday, Kinkiizi FM on Tuesday and KBS FM on Monday.
Residents and stakeholders are invited to attend a Ministry of Health Service Evaluation Baraza scheduled for Friday, July 31, 2026, at Kanyantorogo Health Centre starting at 2:00 PM
by:
Twongyeirwe Mwajuma Twaha Adams,
Communications Officer, Kanungu