Lake Victoria on alert as leaders push for urgent Ebola preparedness measures

Ongoing fishing activities at Rambira beach in Homa Bay/ Faith Matete 

Concerns over the risk of Ebola spreading into Kenya through Lake Victoria have intensified.

 This is after leaders and health stakeholders called for stronger surveillance, screening and emergency preparedness along the busy water routes connecting Kenya to Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Senators, Members of Parliament, health experts, fishing community leaders and residents warned that porous lake borders and high levels of cross-border trade could expose lakeside counties to outbreaks if urgent preventive measures are not strengthened.

Homa Bay Senator Moses Kajwang urged the government to establish Ebola screening points at key entry points along Lake Victoria, warning that the lake remains a major vulnerability in Kenya’s disease surveillance system.

 He said the constant movement of traders and fishermen across Kenya, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo increases the risk of transmission.

 “Porous water routes on the lake pose a major risk of Ebola entering Kenya,” Kajwang warned, adding that trade in timber, fish and other goods across the lake must not be allowed to become a pathway for disease spread.

 He further called for closer coordination between health authorities and Parliament, urging Seme MP James Nyikal to work with Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale to develop clear prevention strategies.

 Kajwang noted that communities along the lake depend heavily on cross-border trade and daily movement, making them particularly vulnerable if surveillance systems remain weak.

 “No time for delays” in epidemic response

 Dhiwa MP Martin Owino echoed concerns over preparedness, citing legal provisions under Kenya’s Public Health Act, Cap 242 and Cap 254, which give the Health Minister authority to act swiftly during outbreaks.

 He warned against bureaucratic delays, arguing that emergencies such as Ebola require immediate government action rather than lengthy consultation processes.

 “When a pandemic of this nature is approaching the country, you do not wait for public participation,” he said.

 He cautioned that delayed response could backfire politically and socially.

 “People will ask: what did you do for us? Why were you not prepared?” he said, urging leaders to avoid politicising public health emergencies.

 MP Owino also backed the establishment of quarantine and isolation centres, stressing the need for properly equipped facilities capable of handling contact tracing, isolation and treatment of suspected cases.

 Nyikal supported strict containment measures, saying Ebola control requires firm adherence to scientific protocols.

 He argued that during outbreaks, suspected and confirmed cases should be contained at the source to prevent further spread.

 “Science dictates that people who are sick during a pandemic or an epidemic should be contained where they are. What we will not allow is the transportation of people who are already sick into our country,” Nyikal said.

 He also supported the establishment of quarantine centres across the country, noting that preparedness is critical in preventing the importation of infectious diseases.

 Nyikal further emphasised that isolation and containment facilities must be fully operational and not just exist on paper, warning that gaps in readiness could lead to catastrophic consequences.

 On the ground, fishing communities along Lake Victoria said they remain exposed due to constant cross-border movement and weak monitoring at landing sites.

 Beach Management Unit Network Kenya national chair Tom Guda warned that surveillance systems at many islands and landing beaches are either weak or non-existent.

 “Our fishing communities interact daily with counterparts from Uganda, Tanzania and even Congo,” he said.

 “There is no screening at many island communities and no personnel ready in case of emergency.”

 He identified islands such as Migingo, Remba and Mageta as particularly vulnerable due to high traffic and informal movement of people.

 Guda added that lack of awareness among fishermen further worsens the risk.

 “If you ask fishermen today about Ebola symptoms, many do not know. We need urgent sensitisation, reporting systems and infrastructure,” he said.

 He called for investment in health infrastructure at landing sites and stronger coordination between border health units and county governments.

 At the community level, residents expressed anxiety over the disease but admitted they had limited knowledge about how Ebola spreads.

 James Mboya Agutu, a resident of Seka, said the community is worried about the possibility of infection entering through increased cross-border movement.

 “We do not want Ebola to come here. We do not know how it starts, but we cannot allow it to enter our area,” he said, urging government intervention.

 Fisherwoman Rose Achieng Ochieng said most of her information comes from radio broadcasts, adding that public education remains insufficient.

 “We hear it causes bleeding until all the blood comes out. We do not want it to come here,” she said, calling for more awareness campaigns targeting fishing communities.

 In Karachuonyo, resident Nicholas Otieno Nyandega called for tighter border controls to reduce the risk of importation.

 “The government should find a way to stop people coming from affected countries to prevent this disease,” he said, adding that communities are already struggling with economic pressures such as rising fuel costs.

 The emerging consensus among leaders and community stakeholders is that Lake Victoria requires urgent and coordinated health preparedness measures.

 From Parliament to fishing beaches, calls are growing for strengthened screening systems, functional quarantine centres, increased public education and improved surveillance at all landing sites and islands.

 As concerns rise, leaders warn that failure to act swiftly could turn Lake Victoria’s busy economic lifeline into a dangerous transmission route for Ebola and other infectious diseases.