A sum of shs 8,218,200,000 was collected by Covid-testing laboratories authorized by Ministry of Health at Entebbe Airport.
The amount was paid by only passengers leaving Uganda and subjected to a mandatory Covid test as a prerequisite for anyone to board a flight at Entebbe.
The travellers are required to pay shs 100,000 for the Covid test.
According to statistics from Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) Entebbe Internationa Airport handled 156,081 international passengers in August 2022 (73,899 arrivals & 82,182 departures), an average of 5,034 pax per day compared to 4,892 in July, 4,508 in June, 4,018 in May, 4,078 in Apr, 3,670 in Mar, 3,615 in Feb & 3,566 per day in Jan 2022.
82,1821 multiply by shs 100,000.
It should be noted that whereas Uganda has failed to suspend mandatory Covid Test at Entebbe, the results are not needed in destination countries, which raises questions whose interests are the laboratories at Entebbe serving.
UCAA attributed to the growth in passenger traffic at Entebbe to widespread vaccination across the globe, which has led to relaxation of some previously stringent travel requirements.
UCAA maintains that the fully vaccinated are exempted from PCR test requirements at Entebbe, which is not the case with outgoing travellers.
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However, this is no longer applicable, the new guidelines from the Ministry of health are that incoming passengers must hold a COVID vaccination certificate.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.
