Kenya has warned that Saudi Arabia’s decision to suspend travel and arrivals from the country over the Ebola outbreak could disrupt religious travel, employment opportunities and economic ties between the two nations.
The Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs said the restrictions would hurt Kenyan pilgrims, workers in the Kingdom, students, tourism and trade, arguing that the measures unfairly penalised Kenya despite its efforts to contain the outbreak.
In a diplomatic protest dated October 30, 2026, Kenya called on Saudi Arabia to reconsider and lift the restrictions, which were announced on Friday as part of efforts to prevent the spread of Ebola.
The ministry described the decision to suspend visas and bar travellers who had been in Kenya within the preceding 21 days as a blanket measure that lacked epidemiological justification.
“It will hurt Kenyan pilgrims, workers in the Kingdom, students, trade and tourism, and it penalises a country that has been transparent and has notified WHO within 24 hours,” the ministry stated.
Kenya argued that the restrictions were disproportionate because the Ebola outbreak had been contained, with all nine confirmed cases linked to a single imported case.
According to the ministry, all secondary cases had been isolated in quarantine when identified, with no evidence of community transmission.
The government said seven patients remained under treatment but were responding well, with their discharge expected on November 3, 2026.
It also reported that 46 contacts were scheduled to complete quarantine on the same date, while all 135 contacts associated with the outbreak had been traced and monitored daily.
The first contacts completed the mandatory 21-day quarantine and were discharged on October 26. The remaining contacts were expected to be released on November 3, provided they maintained negative status.
Kenya further maintained that no new case had been recorded since October 19, supporting its position that the outbreak was under control.
The ministry cited the World Health Organization (WHO), which it said had determined that Kenya had professionally, diligently and transparently contained the outbreak.
It added that WHO had advised against travel and trade restrictions, rating the risk outside the Democratic Republic of Congo and its neighbouring countries as low.
Beyond the immediate economic implications, Kenya expressed concern that the Saudi decision could undermine confidence in its handling of the public health emergency despite its cooperation with international health authorities.
The government urged Saudi Arabia to provide WHO with scientific justification for the restrictions within 48 hours, as required under Regulation 43 of the International Health Regulations (2005).
It also called for the measures to be reviewed within three months.
Kenya said it would engage the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), alongside other affected African countries, to raise concerns over what it described as disproportionate restrictions on travel from the continent.
The ministry also offered to share a detailed technical briefing with the Saudi Public Health Authority to explain the country’s Ebola response and provide further information on the outbreak.
Kenya maintained that while Saudi Arabia had the right to protect its citizens through public health measures, such decisions should be guided by scientific evidence and the actual level of risk.