Kenya plans to release symptom-free contacts after 21 days of monitoring, while urging Saudi Arabia to lift travel restrictions.
Kenya expects to release 46 Ebola contacts from quarantine on Tuesday, November 3, if they remain symptom-free. The group will have completed the mandatory 21-day monitoring period.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said five patients could also leave treatment after a second negative test. They are among seven patients still receiving care for Ebola.
The five have already tested negative once, with repeat tests scheduled for Monday, November 2. Their discharge will depend on those results.
Ebola contacts complete monitoring period
The planned quarantine releases would follow those of 20 contacts who completed monitoring without symptoms on October 26. Together, the two groups would bring the number released from quarantine to 66.
The Ministry of Health says it has identified and traced all 135 contacts linked to the initial imported case. Of those, 118 entered quarantine as part of efforts to contain the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak.
Kenya has recorded nine confirmed infections, including two deaths. The initial case involved a Kenyan national who travelled from the Democratic Republic of Congo through Uganda.
All eight subsequent infections involved people linked to that patient: four healthcare workers and four close family members. Duale said Kenya had recorded no new confirmed infection since October 19.
He also said authorities had found no evidence of transmission beyond the identified cluster. The government credits contact tracing, isolation, laboratory testing and stronger surveillance at entry points for containing the outbreak.
Kenya challenges Saudi travel restrictions
Meanwhile, Kenya has intensified diplomatic efforts to persuade Saudi Arabia to reverse restrictions announced on October 30. The Kingdom barred its citizens from visiting Kenya and suspended all visa categories for Kenyan travellers.
The measures also block entry for travellers arriving from Kenya. They include people transiting through other countries who have visited Kenya within the previous 21 days.
In response, the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs formally protested the decision in an October 30 communication. It called the restrictions disproportionate and inconsistent with Kenya’s outbreak situation.
Nairobi urged Riyadh to lift the measures immediately, warning of disruption to travel, trade, tourism and employment. It also requested scientific justification to the World Health Organization within 48 hours, citing the International Health Regulations.
Kenya further said it would raise the issue with the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. Saudi Arabia, however, said its public health authorities’ epidemiological assessments informed the decision to protect its borders.
The WHO has supported Kenya’s containment efforts and recommended evidence-based surveillance, contact tracing and entry-point screening rather than travel restrictions. Meanwhile, Kenya’s health ministry continues to urge public vigilance.
