Duale rules out Kenya serving as Ebola quarantine centre for foreign travellers

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has ruled out Kenya serving as a quarantine centre for foreign travellers seeking to meet Ebola-related entry requirements, insisting the country will not hold visitors to satisfy another jurisdiction’s health protocols.

Speaking on Wednesday, Duale announced the discharge of the last Ebola patient in Kenya and the release of the final 11 contacts who had been under quarantine.

Duale said the Ministry of Health would also not issue quarantine or Ebola-free certificates for travel purposes, arguing that such requirements have no basis under the International Health Regulations.

“Kenya will not serve as a quarantine centre for any jurisdiction. Travellers from other countries will not be held in Kenya to meet another country’s entry requirements, and the Ministry of Health will not issue any certificate of quarantine or Ebola-free certification for travel purposes,” he said.

He said the country had recorded no new infections since October 19, when the last case was confirmed, and reported no community transmission during the outbreak.

Duale said seven patients had recovered from the Bundibugyo virus disease, while two others had died.

The discharge of the last patient and release of the remaining contacts marked a major milestone in the country's response, although the government will maintain heightened surveillance during the next 42 days.

The countdown begins on Thursday, November 12, and will run until December 23, when Kenya could be declared Ebola-free if no new infections are reported.

Duale also called on foreign jurisdictions to lift blanket travel and visa restrictions imposed on Kenyan travellers following the outbreak.

“Kenya has no patient under treatment, no contact in quarantine and no community transmission. There is no basis, either in the International Health Regulations or in basic public health principles, for restrictions on Kenyan travellers,” he said.

He argued that Kenya's decision to report the outbreak transparently should not attract punitive measures.

“Transparency must be rewarded, not punished. If honesty is penalised, the lesson others will learn is to stay silent, and the whole world will be less safe,” he added.

The CS maintained that Kenya remained open for business, tourism, trade and travel, with no restrictions on movement or public gatherings.

He, however, warned that the risk of imported infections remained as the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo was still active.

The Ministry will issue guidelines for Kenyans returning from affected areas, including completing a health declaration through the UHAI Chatbot before travel, screening on arrival and 21 days of quarantine with follow-up by health teams.

Meanwhile, Duale declined to disclose the government's plans for the Laikipia Ebola Isolation Centre at Laikipia Air Base in Nanyuki, saying the matter was before the courts.

“The matter is before court, so we will not answer that question,” he said.

The facility was established through a partnership between the Kenyan and United States governments to support the monitoring and isolation of individuals arriving from Ebola-affected regions, including Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.