There are growing concerns by local and international travellers who are subjected to a paid PCR to check if they have COVID-19 before catching a flight at Entebbe International Airport.
Once the passenger tests positive, as a health guideline, he or she is prevented from travelling, advised to go for treatment until recovery.
Those were health guidelines issued by the Health Ministry and enforced by Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA).
For incoming passengers, government of Uganda had gazetted places to quarantine those found sick, because of limited resources, the Ministry suggested that the passengers are allowed to go home, or hotel of their choice where they would be monitored until they recover.
However, this is no longer applicable, the new guidelines from the Ministry of health are that incoming passengers must hold a COVID vaccination certificate.
Whereas this should also be applicable to outgoing travellers, it is not implemented, instead the guidelines change and they are required to be pay shs 100,000 for a test in one of the designated laboratories in Kampala and Entebbe.
What remains shocking is the destination countries don’t need to check results of the Covid test taken at Entebbe airport.
The countries such UAE, England, Qatar, USA, Israel, Saudi Arabia, among others issued clear procedures that a passenger should simply present the vaccination certificate.
Against that backdrop, there are queries why passengers still pay for COVID-19 test while leaving Uganda.
Concerned authorities in government suggest that the forced Covid testing continues to cripple down the tourism industry at a time the country is grappling with the effects of Post Covid aftermath.
Others contend that the mandatory testing is aimed at sustaining the laboratories which were authorized to test travellers by the Ministry of Health.
Some of these laboratories include, Test and Fly, Kazuri, Volcano Safaris, Uganda Virus Research Institute, Makerere University, etc.
These laboratories according to sources in are co-owned by high-ranking officials in government who have since influenced the testing of passengers leaving the country.
For example, without mentioning names, a source said a retired powerful Minister has majority shares in Kazuri Laboratories while a big official in Health Ministry co-owns Test and Fly.
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