MISLEADING: UGANDA DID NOT OFFER TO HOST AMERICAN EBOLA PATIENTS
CLAIM:
A viral post from Kenyans.co.ke, shared on X ( formerlyTwitter) on May 28, 2026, claims Uganda offered to host American citizens exposed to Ebola, saying it has experts to treat Ebola patients.
FINDINGS:
During our investigation, we used the Debunk Information Verifier, a tool designed to identify and verify potentially false or misleading claims circulating online. The tool returned several websites and social media posts promoting the claim that Uganda had offered to host American citizens exposed to Ebola. Among them was an article published by UG Diplomat titled “Uganda Offers to Host American Ebola Patients,” which cited comments made by Dr Diana Atwine, Permanent Secretary at Uganda’s Ministry of Health, during a BBC Focus on Africa interview with journalist Waihiga Mwaura.
To verify the accuracy of the claim, we reviewed the interview referenced in the article and compared Dr Atwine’s actual remarks with how they were reported. Our review found that her comments were misrepresented and did not support the headline’s claim that Uganda had offered to host American Ebola patients.
WHAT DR ATWINE ACTUALLY SAID
During the BBC interview, Dr Atwine stated:
“They approached us… they are still assessing where they can establish.”
She also noted that Uganda remains open to working with international partners whenever their nationals face challenges in Africa.
WHY THE CLAIM IS MISLEADING
- The United States initiated the discussions, not Uganda.
Dr Atwine’s own words confirm that Uganda was approached by U.S. officials. This contradicts headlines suggesting Uganda independently offered or volunteered to host exposed Americans.
- No final decision had been made.
Dr Atwine clearly stated that U.S. authorities were “still assessing where they can establish,” indicating that no agreement or confirmed arrangement existed at the time of the interview.
- The BBC interview focused on Ebola containment and border controls.
The broader context of the BBC Focus on Africa interview centered on Uganda’s Ebola response measures, including border restrictions with the Democratic Republic of Congo to prevent infected individuals from crossing into Uganda.
The discussion was about containment efforts, not Uganda publicly inviting foreign Ebola patients.
- The U.S. backed quarantine facility was announced in Kenya, not Uganda.
Subsequent international reporting confirmed that the Trump administration planned to establish a quarantine facility in Kenya through a coordinated U.S. government initiative involving the Departments of State, Defense, and Health and Human Services.
Uganda was never publicly confirmed as the selected location.
This follow-up effectively contradicted the earlier headline and acknowledged that the original framing was inaccurate.
METHODOLOGY:
We used the Debunk Information Verifier to identify sources promoting the claim that Uganda offered to host American citizens exposed to Ebola. Among the results was a UG Diplomat article that cited comments made by Dr Diana Atwine during a BBC Focus on Africa interview. We reviewed the interview, compared Dr Atwine’s actual remarks with how they were reported, and examined additional credible reports and official information to verify the context and accuracy of the claim.
VERDICT:
MISLEADING.
Claims that Uganda offered to host American Ebola patients distort the comments made during the BBC interview. Dr Diana Atwine stated that U.S. officials had approached Uganda and were still assessing possible locations, indicating that no decision had been made at the time. Additionally, reports later identified Kenya not Uganda as the location for the planned U.S.-backed Ebola quarantine facility. The claim overstates what was said and misrepresents the status of the discussions.