Museveni blasts 'ignorant’ CNN over Ebola reporting

• President Museveni criticises CNN and foreign media for spreading fear over Ebola.

• Uganda’s cases are imported from DRC; no local transmission has been recorded.

• Citizens are urged to avoid contact and report symptoms early for effective treatment.

• Authorities maintain border checks and normal tourism/business activities, highlighting strong management systems.

President Yoweri Museveni on Thursday criticised CNN and other foreign media outlets for creating panic over the Ebola outbreak in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). 

Speaking at the 10th Pearl of Africa Tourism Expo (POATE) at Speke Resort Muyonyo, Museveni described some reporting as “ignorance” and urged relevant Ugandan authorities to counter the misleading news stories.

“I notice there is a lot of panic about Ebola created by people who do not know much about science. I was watching CNN spreading fear through ignorance,” Museveni said. 

The President started by contrasting Ebola with Covid-19, noting that the former is easier to control because it spreads through intimate contact, unlike Covid, which is airborne.

Covid was one the most dangerous pandemics in the world because it spread through breathing. Uganda was one the most successful countries in the whole world in controlling Covid,” he said.

“We lost very few people. Check how many people died in other countries, because those countries are not serious about fighting disease. Here we controlled it with very few losses”

He added, “Therefore, ebola is nothing compared to corona virus. Ebola spreads by intimate contact. Why are you touching people? Leave them alone. Just look at them.”

CNN and other media outlets around the world have extensively covered the Ebola outbreak in DRC and Uganda.

CNN reported yesterday that at least one American who was working in the DRC has tested positive for the virus, and had been transferred to Germany for care. 

It also reported that the US is also working to move six close high-risk contacts out of the region for monitoring and care. 

Museveni in his remarks however, called on international media to educate themselves on the outbreak. 

He stressed that responsible reporting is key to preventing unnecessary panic. 

“So, please educate CNN,” he said.

The head of state clarified that the Ebola cases in Uganda are limited and primarily linked to visitors from DRC. 

“The one who died here in Kibuli hospital had come from DRC and another who is sick too. The correct description of the outbreak is that it is in Congo with a few people in Uganda,” he said. 

He noted that Uganda has strong systems for managing imported infections, including screening at borders and monitoring feverish travellers.

Ugandan authorities, including the Ministry of Health and the Media Centre, have continually confirmed that no Ugandan has contracted Ebola locally. 

All contacts of the imported cases have been identified and isolated. Tourism and business activities continue normally, with hygiene and safety measures in place.

Meanwhile, President Museveni revealed that he opposed a suggestion by Ministry of Health officials to close the Congo-Uganda border, noting that legal travel can be managed safely. 

“If we work with the DRC government, we can instruct that anyone who has a fever must not travel. At the border we check temperatures and guide people on reporting symptoms.” 

Instead, he recommended suspending crowded border markets to limit unnecessary exposure.

Ugandan officials, including the Uganda Tourism Board, have reassured the public and international visitors that the country remains safe, with zero local transmission reported.

Authorities maintain border checks and normal tourism/business activities, highlighting strong management systems.

One-sentence summary

President Museveni slams foreign media for exaggerating Ebola risks, reassuring Ugandans and tourists that the outbreak is largely contained and manageable.