President Museveni has imposed a 21-day lockdown on the central Uganda districts of Mubende and Kassanda to contain an Ebola outbreak that has already claimed 19 lives in the country.

President Museveni directed in his third quick-succession night televised address on Ebola on Saturday.

Uganda’s Ebola caseload has as of October 15 climbed to nearly 60 in just a month from the time the contagious disease was confirmed in Mubende, which President Museveni partially attributed to public transport.

The President directed that, There will be curfew in Mubende and Kasanda districts starting from 7pm to 6am. Public, private transport and Boda Bodas are not permitted to move in Mubende and Kasanda districts to curb Ebola.

Mr Museveni clarified that “people travelling across Mubende and Kassanda are permitted to move after police clearance and not allowed to stop or pick up a person in the two districts.

Ebola is spread through bodily fluids, with common symptoms being fever, vomiting, bleeding and diarrhea. Outbreaks are difficult to contain, especially in urban environments.

Uganda’s last recorded fatality from a previous Ebola outbreak was in 2019.