Ebola In Kenya: 21 Health Workers, Eight Family Members Quarantined
People experiencing such symptoms, particularly after possible exposure to a suspected or confirmed case, have been advised to avoid close contact with others and seek care from a recognized health facility.
Jane Chepkoech
Twenty-one healthcare workers who attended to Kenya’s first confirmed imported Ebola patient have been placed under quarantine and are being closely monitored as authorities intensify efforts to prevent further transmission.
The workers are among contacts being monitored following the death of the patient, whose case prompted President William Ruto to order the National Security Council Committee (NSCC) to assess the situation and recommend additional measures to safeguard the country.
“Eight family members of the deceased have also been placed under quarantine and are undergoing daily symptom monitoring,” according to a statement issued by State House spokesperson Hussein Mohamed
Health authorities have also expanded contact tracing to passengers who travelled on the same flight as the deceased when the patient entered Kenya.
So far, 27 passengers who may have had contact with the patient have been identified and contacted, with public health measures being undertaken, the statement said.
The patient has since been safely buried in accordance with established public health protocols.
The government said surveillance and rapid response teams had been deployed on the ground, building on preparedness and surveillance systems maintained since an Ebola outbreak began in May 2026.
“The country has the capacity to detect, isolate and manage suspected cases,” the statement said.
Kenya had screened 652,584 travelers and tested 267 samples for Ebola as of October 6, according to State House.
The samples were processed through five laboratories: the National Virology Reference Laboratory, KEMRI Nairobi, KEMRI Kisumu and two mobile laboratories deployed at the Busia border in Busia County and the Lwakhakha border in Bungoma County.
Only one of the 267 samples had returned positive. It was from the deceased patient, with no additional positive cases detected as of Tuesday.
The government said 4,971 healthcare workers had also been trained at national and subnational levels in Ebola prevention, detection and management.
Authorities have designated several facilities to manage Ebola cases, including Kenyatta National Hospital, Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, National Police Hospital and The Nairobi Hospital.
Kenyatta National Hospital has eight designated beds, Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital 50, National Police Hospital 49 and The Nairobi Hospital 143 beds. County isolation centers have also been designated, with the government saying capacity will be expanded as the situation evolves.
President Ruto ordered the NSCC to convene after the death of the patient and assess the situation before recommending measures to contain the disease.
Following the meeting, the government said it had intensified surveillance, contact tracing and other public health measures.
The government has urged Kenyans to remain calm and vigilant, maintain strict hand hygiene and avoid contact with people displaying symptoms associated with Ebola.
The symptoms listed include fever, severe headache, muscle pain, weakness, vomiting, diarrhea and unexplained bleeding.
People experiencing such symptoms, particularly after possible exposure to a suspected or confirmed case, have been advised to avoid close contact with others and seek care from a recognized health facility.
The public has also been urged to promptly report anyone suspected of having been exposed to Ebola or displaying symptoms consistent with the disease.
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