Medical Services Principal Secretary Ouma Oluga has confirmed that 37 Kenyan nationals returning from Congo-Brazzaville have been placed under quarantine as authorities step up surveillance measures aimed at preventing the spread of Ebola into the country.
Speaking on NTV on Tuesday, Oluga said the individuals were part of routine cross-border monitoring and included professionals engaged in business, logistics and mining operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo region.
“We already quarantined 37 Kenyans… who are from Congo,” he said, adding that the group was being monitored under established public health protocols.
He stressed that the quarantine process was part of standard disease control measures and urged the public to rely on professional guidance rather than speculation.
“This is a quarantine. You know what quarantine is. We have a number of institutions, by the way,” he said, defending the government’s handling of the situation.
Oluga further argued that Kenya’s strong economic and transport links with the region necessitate heightened preparedness, noting that many Kenyans continue to travel frequently for work-related activities in the DRC.
“We have two banks… KCB alone has almost 800 employees in the DRC, the same with Equity, and we have all these Kenyans who are coming in,” he said.
His remarks come amid growing public debate over Kenya’s Ebola preparedness and cross-border health controls, including questions about international coordination in managing suspected cases.
He also pointed to Kenya’s strategic role as a regional transit hub, saying movement of patients and personnel between countries often passes through Nairobi due to its aviation connectivity.
“For you to move a patient from DRC to the US, you have to pass through Kenya,” he said, arguing that regional cooperation is essential for risk management.
The comments come as pressure mounts over a proposed US-linked Ebola quarantine facility in Laikipia County, with residents, activists, medical professionals and political leaders expressing concern over transparency, safety, and sovereignty implications.
The matter is now before the courts, where Justice Patricia Mande on June 2, 2026 issued directions in a case filed by the Katiba Institute challenging the project on constitutional and public health grounds.
The court ordered the Attorney General and the Ministry of Health to file, within seven days, a detailed report outlining the status of the project and planned arrangements for the facility.
As legal and public scrutiny intensifies, the Ministry of Health maintains that Kenya’s surveillance systems remain active, with quarantine and monitoring measures forming a key part of its Ebola prevention strategy.