Nairobi, Nov. 5 -- As the Ebola outbreak in Uganda stretches into eight weeks, the country is facings a gaping credibility gap. Hemmed in by one of the longest Covid-19 lockdowns globally that kept learners out of school for a solid two years, the government was slow to impose a quarantine in the six districts where the haemorrhagic fever, confirmed on September 20, first erupted.

The lockdown on the districts only came a month later, after the first case was registered in the capital. Cases traced to a primary school in the capital, have since deepened the government's dilemma over how not to proceed. With promotional exams in session, and Treasury staring at empty coffers, the trade-offs are steep and money has taken centre-stage.

It ...