Kenya has heightened its Ebola response, with Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale confirming that 66 contacts of the country’s first confirmed patient remain in quarantine. Rapid response teams have been deployed and surveillance intensified at points of entry, especially along the Kenya-Uganda border in Busia County.
President William Ruto chaired a Cabinet meeting at State House on Friday under strict Ebola protocols as the government coordinates the national effort.
A suspected case reported in Wajir County has tested negative for Ebola and positive for malaria, bringing relief to health officials and the public. The original patient, a Kenyan who travelled from the Democratic Republic of Congo via Uganda, died earlier this week in a Nairobi hospital after testing positive for the Bundibugyo strain. Authorities continue tracing passengers and crew from the Jambojet flight he took into the country.
China has extended a USD 2 million (approximately Ksh 259 million) cash grant to support Kenya’s Ebola preparedness and drought-relief efforts. The World Health Organization remains engaged in monitoring the situation and supporting contact-tracing work. Some healthcare workers who treated the index patient have raised concerns about the conditions of their mandatory quarantine.
Officials stress that there is still no evidence of community transmission inside Kenya. The public has been urged to remain vigilant, report any symptoms promptly and continue observing basic hygiene measures while the surveillance system operates at elevated readiness.
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