Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has said Kenya will not detain travellers to fulfil quarantine requirements imposed by their destination countries, insisting that the country will not become a holding ground for international travel restrictions.
In a press briefing on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, Duale announced that Kenya would begin its 42-day countdown towards an Ebola-free declaration on Thursday, November 12, following the discharge of the last patient receiving treatment for Bundibugyo Ebola Virus Disease.
The declaration is expected on or about December 23, provided no new infections are reported during the monitoring period.
“Kenya will not serve as a quarantine destination for other jurisdictions,” Duale said.
He clarified that travellers would not be detained in Kenya to satisfy entry requirements imposed by other countries, adding that the Ministry of Health would not issue quarantine or Ebola-free certificates for travel purposes.
“Such requirements have no basis in the International Health Regulations,” he said.
On October 30, Saudi Arabia suspended travel by its citizens to Kenya, stopped issuing visas to people arriving from the country and barred entry to travellers coming directly from Kenya.
The restrictions also cover travellers transiting through other countries if they had stayed in Kenya or another country experiencing an active Ebola outbreak within the preceding 21 days.
The measures have raised concerns over the movement of Kenyan workers, business travellers and other passengers seeking to travel to the Gulf country.
Kenya subsequently criticised Saudi Arabia’s decision, arguing that the restrictions were disproportionate to the country’s epidemiological situation.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has also called on Saudi Arabia to review its decision, saying countries should not be punished for detecting and transparently reporting disease outbreaks.
The World Health Organization (WHO), in its November 6 update, similarly advised against travel and trade restrictions on countries responding to the outbreak.
Duale urged jurisdictions that had imposed restrictions on Kenya to reconsider their decisions, maintaining that the country had demonstrated transparency and complied with international public health requirements.
“Kenya remains open for business, tourism, trade and travel, with no restrictions on movement or public gatherings,” he said.
Kenya’s progress towards ending the outbreak comes 37 days after it confirmed its first imported case on October 6, 2026.
The country recorded nine confirmed cases, all linked to a single transmission cluster originating from the imported index case. Two people died, while the remaining seven recovered.
The Ministry said all 135 contacts linked to the index case had been successfully traced and monitored.
The final 11 contacts completed their mandatory 21-day monitoring period and were released in good health, clearing the remaining group under surveillance.
No community transmission was recorded, with all confirmed infections remaining within the original transmission cluster.
The Government also declared Ebola a formidable epidemic disease and gazetted the Public Health (Ebola Disease) Rules to provide a legal framework for containment and response measures.
Despite the progress, the Ministry warned that Kenya would maintain heightened surveillance and emergency preparedness throughout the countdown period.
Rapid Response Teams will remain on standby across counties, supported by active surveillance in health facilities and communities, investigations of suspected infections and continued screening at points of entry.
The Government will also maintain follow-up care and support for Ebola survivors.
Duale urged Kenyans to remain vigilant, seek medical attention early if they develop symptoms associated with Ebola, particularly after travelling to affected areas, and report suspected cases through the toll-free 719 hotline.
He also acknowledged the contribution of national and county governments, health facilities, WHO, Africa CDC, IGAD, and the governments of the United States and India in containing the outbreak.
On accountability, the CS pledged that the Government would publicly disclose support received from development partners and account for resources mobilised towards the Ebola response.
The 42-day countdown will provide an additional observation period to establish whether any new infections emerge following the last patient’s recovery.
If no new cases are detected by the end of the period, Kenya will be eligible for an official declaration that the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak has ended.
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