NAIROBI, Kenya – Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has said Kenya does not have an Ebola outbreak, describing the reported case as an imported incident involving a patient who travelled from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Speaking on NTV’s Fixing the Nation on Wednesday, Duale said the government had activated preparedness measures months before the reported case after the Ebola outbreak was confirmed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) in May 2026.
“We don’t have an Ebola outbreak in Kenya, what we have is an imported Ebola incident just like what happened in Germany or France,” Duale said.
Duale: Kenya Was Prepared
The CS said Kenya was not caught off guard by the Ebola threat, unlike the situation at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Since May of 2026, when the Ebola outbreak was confirmed and announced by both WHO and Africa CDC, we were not caught off guard like COVID,” he said.
Duale said approximately 650,000 passengers had been screened across Kenya’s 15 points of entry as part of measures to prevent the virus from entering and spreading within the country.
He added that 4,900 healthcare workers had been trained to manage Ebola cases, while 276 suspected cases had tested negative.
“We have put in place enough preparedness as a country, 650,000 passengers screened across all our 15 entry points, 4,900 healthcare workers trained to deal with Ebola, and 276 cases tested negative,” Duale said.
Patient’s Journey Traced From DRC
Duale said health authorities had been able to trace the patient’s journey from northwestern DRC through several cities before he entered Kenya.
“This patient is imported because we can define his pathway, how he came from northwestern Congo, DRC, to Kisangani, Beni, Kinshasa, Kampala and Kenya,” he said.
The CS also suggested that medication the patient was taking while travelling may have affected the ability of thermal scanners at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) to detect signs of the disease.
“When he came to Kenya he was on medication and must have taken heavy medications that helped him not to be detected at our thermal scanners at JKIA,” Duale said.
The Health Ministry has maintained that the case is being managed through existing disease surveillance and response systems, while health authorities continue to monitor contacts and strengthen screening at points of entry.
Nairobi Intensifies Ebola Preparedness
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja said the county had intensified Ebola preparedness and response measures across all 17 sub-counties following confirmation of the case in the capital.
Sakaja said the county had strengthened disease surveillance, contact tracing, isolation capacity and emergency response systems.
He said 923 health workers and 1,598 Community Health Promoters had undergone specialised training on the early detection, identification and reporting of suspected Ebola cases.
More than 60 laboratory officers had also been trained on safe sample collection and handling.
Speaking during a briefing on the county’s response, Sakaja said Rapid Response Teams had been activated across the 17 sub-counties.
The county Emergency Operations Centre is coordinating surveillance, case reporting, contact tracing and emergency interventions.
“Our message to Nairobi residents is clear: remain alert, remain calm and cooperate with our health teams. There is no need for panic, but we must all take the necessary precautions and report suspected cases early,” Sakaja said.
The county government has urged residents to report suspected cases promptly as health authorities continue monitoring the situation.
