Uganda/DCR traders continue to count losses over border closure.

25 June 2026, 2:43 pm

By Kyamanduma Patrick.

Local traders along Mpondwe-Lhubiriha border continue to experience reduced business activity.

The closure of the Mpondwe–Lhubiriha border point in Kasese District, introduced several weeks ago as part of measures to contain the Ebola outbreak, has significantly disrupted cross-border trade, leaving many local traders grappling with mounting losses and reduced business activity.

Ms. Peruth Nanyonga, a fish trader, said yesterday that she had been stranded for weeks as her business partners from the Democratic Republic of Congo have been unable to cross into Uganda to clear payments for fish previously supplied, leaving her with significant financial strain.

Ms. Grace Masika, another trader at the border, has appealed to government to reconsider the total ban on pedestrian crossings by Congolese nationals, warning that continued limitations on movement are worsening business losses and threatening the livelihoods of many traders who depend on daily cross-border trade for survival .

Mr. Suleiman Machozi, the Chairperson of loaders and off-loaders at Mpondwe–Lhubiriha Market had earlier expressed frustration over the continued restrictions, saying that many traders have watched their merchandise perish due to the sharp decline in customers.