Health CS Aden Duale says Kenya has no confirmed Ebola case as the country ramps up surveillance, screening, and isolation facility preparedness following outbreaks in Uganda and DRC.
Kenya Remains Ebola-Free, Duale Assures Public Amid Regional Outbreak
Kenya has not recorded a single confirmed case of Ebola Virus Disease, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has assured the public, even as the country tightens surveillance and preparedness measures following outbreaks in neighbouring Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In a press statement issued on Thursday, June 25, Duale was direct: "First and foremost, I wish to assure all Kenyans that Kenya has not reported any confirmed case of Ebola Virus Disease."
Why Kenya Remains on High Alert
Despite the clean record, Duale noted that Kenya's position as a major regional transport and travel hub means it remains at risk of an imported case. That risk has pushed health authorities to ramp up readiness rather than wait for a case to appear.
The Ministry of Health, through the Kenya National Public Health Institute, activated the national Ebola Incident Management System on May 20, triggering a wave of intensified surveillance and response work across the country. Measures rolled out since then include enhanced screening at airports and land border points, strengthened county-level surveillance and rapid response systems, expanded laboratory testing capacity, and the identification of isolation and treatment facilities.
The ministry has also been training healthcare workers, stockpiling PPE, and running public risk-communication campaigns.
The numbers reflect the scale of that effort. "As of today, Kenya has screened more than 140,000 travellers arriving from affected areas and investigated over 100 alerts, all of which have tested negative for Ebola," Duale stated.
Isolation Facilities Don't Mean an Outbreak
The CS also moved to address public anxiety over quarantine and isolation facilities being set up in various parts of the country, stressing that their presence is not a sign of an active outbreak. "Let me clarify that these facilities are preparedness measures and do not mean that Kenya has an Ebola case," he said.
He explained that setting up isolation infrastructure ahead of time allows health authorities to act fast, contain any suspected case, and protect healthcare workers should one emerge. Officials pointed to past Ebola outbreaks elsewhere on the continent, which caused major economic damage through disrupted trade, tourism, and investment, as the reason early preparedness matters.
The ministry has urged Kenyans to stay calm but alert, continuing basic public health practices like regular handwashing with soap and clean water or alcohol-based sanitisers.