NAIROBI, Kenya – Kenya has stepped up its Ebola preparedness efforts by training 2,200 health workers across the country, according to Principal Secretary for Medical Services Ouma Oluga.
Speaking on the country’s readiness to respond to potential Ebola outbreaks, Oluga said the government has strengthened screening, training and case management systems to prevent the virus from entering Kenya, particularly from neighbouring countries that have experienced outbreaks.
He explained that the country has been building its response capacity for years, with healthcare workers undergoing specialised training whenever Ebola cases are reported in the region.
“Health workers need to be properly trained and properly prepared. So far, in just this specific incident, we’ve trained around 800. But overall, we’ve trained around 2,200 health workers. We have had Ebola scares for quite some time. Uganda has had its ninth outbreak. Every time there is an outbreak, Kenyan health workers are trained,” he said.
Oluga noted that Kenya’s preparedness efforts are long-standing, revealing that he was among 90 Kenyan doctors trained at the Rwanda-DRC border during an Ebola outbreak in 2013.
The PS said health authorities are closely monitoring travellers arriving from Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, maintaining heightened surveillance for anyone who has been in the two countries within the past 21 days.
“Every single citizen should help the country in its responsibility to protect itself,” he said.
He urged members of the public to remain vigilant and report any suspected cases, especially involving individuals arriving from Ebola-affected areas.
Oluga outlined common Ebola symptoms, including headaches, fever, body weakness, diarrhoea and, in severe cases, bleeding from different parts of the body.
He also cited a recent incident involving a Turkish tourist who was suspected of having Ebola but later tested negative after authorities responded quickly to concerns raised by a private doctor.
“I think that high index of suspicion from the doctor and from the general public is good because it helps us to test that person,” he said.
To enhance public participation in disease surveillance, Oluga encouraged Kenyans to report concerns through the government’s Ebola hotline, 719.
He further detailed the country’s preparedness measures, including surveillance at all 26 points of entry, contact tracing, screening programmes and the establishment of isolation facilities.
According to the PS, hospitals designated to handle Ebola cases must have dedicated isolation units, sufficient personal protective equipment (PPEs) and specialised infectious disease wards equipped with controlled airflow systems.
“These people must be separated from other patients from the moment somebody thinks that this could be Ebola,” he said.
Facilities that lack the capacity to manage Ebola patients are required to isolate them before arranging transfers through specially equipped isolation ambulances.
Oluga also called on healthcare workers to remain focused and committed during outbreaks, describing them as a critical line of defence in protecting the country.
“During an outbreak like this, we are the KDF. We are the defence of the country,” he said.
While acknowledging concerns over the safety of frontline workers, he stressed the need to ensure healthcare personnel have adequate protective equipment, including hazmat suits, gloves and N95 masks.
He added that although vaccines and treatment are available for some Ebola strains, the current strain remains particularly challenging because no vaccine has yet been developed for it.
As Kenya continues to strengthen its preparedness measures, Oluga urged greater public awareness and cooperation, saying preventing an outbreak requires a collective effort from citizens, healthcare workers and government agencies.
“I am almost begging the country that we go back to that conversation where we can start training people on what they need to do as citizens and what is important for all of us,” he said.
