Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has formally declared Ebola (Bundibugyo Virus) a formidable epidemic disease under Section 35 of the Public Health Act, empowering health authorities to enforce heightened screening and surveillance protocols.
The measure follows an isolated imported case handled in Nairobi, with contact tracing teams confirming that all 108 quarantined contacts have remained completely asymptomatic.
Surveillance and Public Health Containment
"Our early detection systems functioned effectively. The declaration ensures public health teams have full administrative tools to maintain rigorous border monitoring," CS Duale stated.
Key measures implemented under the gazette notice include:
Border Port Screening: Thermal scanning and health registration mandatory for all incoming international travelers at JKIA and land borders.
“Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has gazetted Bundibugyo Ebola as a formidable epidemic disease, triggering heightened contact tracing and port-of-entry screening protocols.”
Isolation Readiness: Dedicated isolation wards at national referral hospitals maintained in state-of-readiness.
Contact Tracing: Rapid-response teams continue monitoring secondary contacts as a standard precautionary procedure.
No Outbreak in General Public: Health authorities emphasized that there is no active community transmission within the country.
Regional Coordination: Kenya is working closely with East African Community health agencies to synchronize cross-border health monitoring.
Read more public health updates on our Explainers section.
How we reported this
Based on official Kenya Gazette notices and public health briefings issued by the Ministry of Health.
