Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has rejected a foreign quarantine role for Kenya.
Health CS Aden Duale says Kenya will not host travellers to satisfy foreign entry rules as the final patient and 11 contacts return home.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has ruled out an Ebola quarantine role for Kenya on behalf of foreign governments. He said the country will not host travellers so they can meet another country’s entry requirements.
Speaking on November 11, Duale also announced the recovery and discharge of Kenya’s last Ebola patient. Meanwhile, the final 11 quarantined contacts returned home after completing their monitoring in good health.
Kenya rejects foreign Ebola quarantine requests
Duale said Kenya’s position applies to all foreign jurisdictions. The government will not make its public health facilities and quarantine centres available to satisfy entry conditions imposed elsewhere.
The decision affects United States plans to send citizens travelling from the Democratic Republic of Congo to Kenya. Those plans involved a quarantine facility in Laikipia for Americans suspected of having the virus.
However, the facility’s construction faced public opposition over safety concerns and the risk of exposing Kenyan citizens. Court orders also blocked its implementation on those grounds.
Duale’s announcement reinforces the government’s refusal to take on that role, even as Kenya completes monitoring for its own outbreak contacts.
Seven recoveries from nine confirmed cases
Kenya recorded nine confirmed cases during the Ebola Bundibugyo outbreak, with the first case reported on October 3. Of those patients, seven recovered, while two died.
The deaths included the first imported case and a 65-year-old woman who was a close relative of that patient. With the latest discharge, Duale said all seven surviving patients had recovered and every contact had completed follow-up monitoring.
He described the final recovery and completion of quarantine as an important step towards declaring Kenya Ebola-free. The discharge therefore marks progress in the country’s outbreak response, rather than a formal Ebola-free declaration.
For suspected Ebola-related emergencies, members of the public can contact the Ministry of Health through its toll-free number, 719. They can also dial *719# or send a WhatsApp message to 0700 719 719.
