Busia: "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."
According to African Press Organization, Kenya has recorded no case of Ebola disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus. However, transmission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has not ceased, while thousands of people cross Kenya's western border daily. Uganda's outbreak was declared over on August 26, 2026, but the movement of people and goods across the region continues.
Busia is located on the Northern Corridor, a critical trade route that runs 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 essential part of Kenya's early warning system.
In August, the Kenya National Public Health Institute, supported by WHO and the International Organization 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 of training focused entirely on border stakeholders, including youth representatives, traders, truck drivers, and other community and institutional actors working at the crossing. Participants learned to recognize the signs and symptoms of the 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 Atsinga, a port health officer at the 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 Olongo, 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 practiced 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, the 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.