Busia county government sets up Ebola isolation centre

Uganda Red Cross Society workers in protective gear are sprayed with disinfectant during the evacuation of the body of a suspected Ebola victim in Kampala on May 26, 2026. [AFP]

Busia County Government has set up an Ebola isolation centre in Alupe.

The centre was established after inspection by a team of experts from the World Health Organisation (WHO), Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri) Ministry of Health and Busia County Government.

In an interview with The Standard, the County Health Executive Officer, Arthur Odera, said the isolation centre will host suspected Ebola cases.

He revealed that the facility will be equipped with essential life-supporting equipment, trained personnel, and the capacity to extract samples to be taken to lthe aboratory for testing.

“Plans are ongoing to equip the facility with trained human resources, diagnostics and treatment tools,” Odera told The Standard.

He clarified that the isolation centre is a building that belongs to the county government, within Alupe hospital land.

The location of the isolation centre is designed to avoid disruption of hospital activities and prevent contact with Ebola cases.

“We have identified an isolation centre in Alupe, and are now proceeding to equip it. A team comprising county staff, WHO experts and Ministry of Health officials considered proximity to the border. With this, they settled on Alupe,” said Odera.

The county has also received a mobile laboratory from the Ministry of Health.

“The laboratory is a high-level virology lab specific to the virus we are dealing with,” said the official.

Experts manning the laboratory are trained staff from the Ministry, working alongside experts from WHO and Kemri.

Odera revealed that WHO experts are training health workers in Busia, who will be embedded within the team to boost surveillance, and handle any suspected cases of Ebola.

Further, Kemri is supporting the county in testing and sensitisation of the disease.

“We are using Kemri network to go on the radio, to disseminate information,” said Odera.

“For us, because of the porous nature of the borders, dissemination sensitisation is critical,” he added.

Busia is among the counties identified as high risk of Ebola virus, alongside Bungoma, Trans Nzoia, Mombasa and Turkana.