Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has confirmed that Kenya remains free of Ebola despite heightened preparedness in response to outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.
In a statement issued Thursday, Duale said Kenya has not recorded any confirmed Ebola case, yet the country continues to face a high risk of an imported infection because it serves as a major regional transport hub.
He noted that the Ministry of Health has activated emergency preparedness systems to prevent, detect and respond swiftly to any potential case.
“First and foremost, I wish to assure all Kenyans that Kenya has not reported any confirmed case of Ebola virus disease,” Duale said.
Duale highlighted that lessons from past African outbreaks underscored the importance of early preparedness to protect lives, safeguard health systems and reduce economic disruption.
The ministry reported that the Kenya National Public Health Institute activated the national Ebola Incident Management System on 20 May 2026 and has since intensified preparedness activities nationwide.
Measures have included enhanced screening of travellers arriving from affected countries at airports and land border points, strengthened surveillance and rapid response systems in counties, expanded laboratory testing capacity, identified isolation and treatment facilities, trained health workers and stocked personal protective equipment.
Public awareness and risk communication campaigns have also been intensified to keep citizens informed about the disease and preventive measures.
Duale revealed that over 140,000 travellers arriving from affected areas have already been screened.
“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,” he added.
The CS addressed concerns about the establishment of quarantine and isolation facilities, explaining that their presence does not indicate detected Ebola cases.
He described isolation and quarantine centres as standard public health preparedness measures designed to contain suspected infections quickly and prevent transmission should a case be detected.
“Just as a country prepares fire engines before a fire occurs, public health authorities must prepare isolation and quarantine facilities before an outbreak occurs,” Duale said.
He added that preparedness is less costly than responding to a widespread outbreak, noting that previous Ebola epidemics in Africa caused significant economic losses by disrupting travel, trade, tourism and investment.
The ministry urged Kenyans to remain calm while following preventive measures, including regular handwashing with soap and clean water, using alcohol‑based sanitisers and avoiding contact with bodily fluids of sick individuals, especially those with recent travel to affected countries.
Citizens were also advised to avoid non‑essential travel to affected areas, refrain from handling sick or dead wild animals and seek immediate medical attention if they develop symptoms associated with Ebola, particularly after recent travel.
Symptoms highlighted by the ministry include fever, severe headache, sore throat, extreme tiredness, joint pains, vomiting, diarrhoea and unexplained bleeding.
Duale further urged Kenyans to obtain information only through official Ministry of Health channels as authorities continue monitoring the regional situation.