Nairobi, Kenya// — “We knew Ebola was in Congo and Uganda, not much more than that,” said Dekens Okoth Ojera, a member of the Busia Cross Border Women Traders Sacco, which has 257 registered members. “We were not equipped or aware of how to handle it if it reached us, or sure that anything was being done.”
Kenya has recorded no case of Ebola disease caused by Bundibugyo virus. But transmission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has not stopped, while thousands of people cross Kenya’s western border every day. Uganda’s outbreak was declared over on 26 August 2026, but movement of people and goods across the region continues.
Busia sits on the Northern Corridor, the trade route running from Mombasa through Uganda to Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. More than 3,000 people cross here daily, alongside freight moving to and from the region. That constant movement makes border workers and communities an important part of Kenya’s early warning system.
In August, the Kenya National Public Health Institute, with support from WHO and the International Organisation for Migration, trained 35 health workers and engaged 45 border stakeholders from three priority points of entry: the Busia and Malaba One-Stop Border Posts in Busia county, and Lwakhakha in Bungoma county.
The first day focused entirely on border stakeholders, including youth representatives, traders, truck drivers, and other community and institutional actors working at the crossing. Participants learned how to recognize the signs and symptoms of Ebola disease virus, apply suspect case definitions, and report suspected cases and contacts.
They also received training on risk communication, with a focus on addressing misinformation and ensuring that communities receive accurate information early during an outbreak.
“The people who work at this border see travellers long before we do. When a trader notices someone who is unwell and knows exactly who to call, that is early detection. It has to work in the other direction too. When communities have questions or fears, we need to hear them quickly,” said Oliver Atsing’a, a port health officer at Kenya National Public Health Institute.
Participants used the session to make commitments of their own. Women traders operating in the border market undertook to reinstate and maintain handwashing points, and invited port health staff to their weekly Tuesday meetings so that information keeps moving in both directions. Youth representatives committed to carrying key messages to their peers.
“We are in this market every day. If someone is sick, we see it before anybody at the office does. What we needed was to know who to call,” said Mr David Omondi Olong’o, a clearing agent based at Busia One-Stop Border Post
Over the following four days, health workers from the three points of entry and Busia Sub-County Hospital moved through the full response chain, from early detection and surveillance to contact tracing, case management and specimen collection, packaging and transport. They also practised infection prevention and control, including handwashing, donning and doffing personal protective equipment, and safe and dignified burial.
The workshop also exposed gaps that still need to be addressed. At Busia One-Stop Border Post, screening of small-scale traders currently runs from 08:00 to 18:00, staffed by county government health personnel with support from the Kenya Red Cross.
Night-time screening remains a gap, driven by staff numbers rather than capability. Traders and youth representatives recommended that Busia move to round-the-clock screening, with qualified personnel available at any hour.
Each border crossing left the workshop with its own preparedness and response work plan. Participants also called for refresher training and simulation exercises every quarter, rather than only when an outbreak is underway. Participants are now cascading key messages into their communities, strengthening early detection and reporting along Kenya’s western border.
