Ebola scare: Lamwo Locks Down Public Gatherings Amid Rising Cross-Border Health Threat

29 May 2026, 2:53 pm

By Olweny Isaac

Lamwo District authorities have banned all public gatherings, music concerts, entertainment shows and football matches as part of heightened efforts to curb the spread of the Ebola virus in the border district.

Speaking on Tembo FM this morning, the Lamwo Resident District Commissioner, Mr. Komakech William, who also chairs the district Ebola taskforce committee, announced the ban as a preventive intervention aimed at safeguarding communities along the South Sudan border following directives issued by the Ministry of Health.

The affected areas include Palabek Kal, Palabek Ogili, Palabek Nyimur, Lukung, Agoro ,Lamwo town council, Lokung East sub county, Madi Opei, Palabek Kal, Potika sub-county and Lamwo Town council, all considered high-risk entry points due to frequent cross-border movement.

Lamwo is also one of Uganda’s major refugee-hosting districts, with refugee settlements in Palabek Kal, Palabek Nyimur and Palabek Ogili currently hosting an estimated 213,000 refugees, mainly from South Sudan. Authorities fear that the large and mobile population could increase vulnerability to the spread of the deadly virus if strict preventive measures are not enforced.

The directive further extends to schools, institutions, public transport operators, places of worship and other mass gathering centers, with authorities emphasizing strict infection prevention, surveillance and compliance measures to contain the outbreak of the rare Bundibugyo Ebola strain.

Uganda officially declared an Ebola outbreak on May 15, 2026, after the Ministry of Health confirmed the Bundibugyo strain following the death of a Congolese national who reportedly crossed into Uganda and later died in Kampala. The outbreak, linked to the escalating health situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo, prompted the World Health Organization to declare it a global health emergency on May 17, 2026.

According to health authorities, Uganda has so far registered seven confirmed Ebola cases and two deaths across five districts, including Kampala.

In the latest directive, security teams led by Resident District Commissioners (RDCs) and City Commissioners have been instructed to conduct physical inspections in schools and public institutions to ensure full enforcement of Ministry of Health guidelines and district preventive measures.