NAIROBI, Kenya- President William Ruto has announced that Kenya will establish a National Response Committee to coordinate the country’s preparedness and response measures following the Ebola outbreak in neighbouring countries.
Speaking after a high-level meeting at State House, Nairobi, attended by ambassadors, development partners, multilateral agencies and international organisations, President Ruto said Kenya remained vigilant as regional fears grow over the spread of Ebola in parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda.
“International solidarity is vital, particularly in times of multiple crises,” Ruto said, describing Kenya as a key regional gateway, financial hub and host of major international organisations.
The President said the government had intensified surveillance and screening measures across 26 points of entry, including airports and border crossings, as part of efforts to prevent the virus from entering the country.
According to Ruto, more than 58,000 travellers have so far been screened, with all suspected cases testing negative for Ebola.
He further revealed that 17 isolation centres had already been identified across the country to strengthen emergency preparedness in the event of confirmed infections.
“We agreed on the importance of cooperation and avoiding isolationism, recognising that public health threats do not respect borders and require coordinated regional and global action,” the President said.
Ruto also announced the formation of a National Response Committee that will be led by Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Musalia Mudavadi.
The committee will coordinate a whole-of-government and whole-of-society response, including public awareness campaigns, emergency preparedness, cross-border coordination and mobilisation of technical and financial resources.
The meeting brought together representatives from the United States, United Kingdom, European Union, France, Germany, China, Japan, India, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia, Türkiye, the United Nations Office at Nairobi and the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office.
Kenya is among several East African countries that have heightened surveillance following the outbreak involving the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola in eastern DRC and Uganda.
The World Health Organization and Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) have been supporting regional efforts to strengthen laboratory systems, contact tracing, border surveillance and emergency response mechanisms as the outbreak evolves.
