Former Chief Justice David Maraga has expressed concerns about Kenya's preparedness and response following the confirmation of the country's first imported Ebola case. A Kenyan citizen who had been living in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for seven years died while receiving treatment at Nairobi Hospital on Monday night. Maraga questioned the effectiveness of measures put in place to detect and manage possible Ebola cases at the country's points of entry.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale confirmed the case on Tuesday, saying the patient had fallen ill about a month ago and had received treatment at several health facilities in the DRC before travelling to Kenya. The patient travelled by road from the DRC to Kampala, Uganda, before taking a Jambojet flight to Nairobi on Saturday, October 3. The patient underwent routine public health screening at the Port Health facility at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) before proceeding through immigration.
Maraga questioned how the patient was able to pass through airport screening despite having been unwell for several weeks. He also raised concerns about the government's earlier preparedness measures, including plans for a 50-bed Ebola quarantine facility at Laikipia Air Base. Maraga said the government should prioritise measures aimed at protecting Kenyans from public health threats and called for support for people identified as contacts.
The Ministry of Health has intensified contact tracing following confirmation of the case. Duale said 28 contacts linked to the deceased had been identified, including family members and healthcare workers who attended to the patient. Health authorities are also tracing 23 passengers and four crew members who travelled on the same flight as the patient.
As of October 6, 652,584 travellers had been screened, while 267 samples had been tested across five laboratories, Duale said. Only one test had returned positive — that of the deceased patient. Duale also said 4,971 healthcare workers at national and county levels had been trained on Ebola prevention and response.
Ministry of Health Director General Patrick Amoth addressed questions about how the patient passed through airport screening. Amoth said the patient may have passed through the screening process because medication he had been taking could have masked some of his symptoms. The government has said the patient was quickly isolated after arriving at Nairobi Hospital and that contact tracing and other containment measures were under way.
The government has notified the World Health Organisation of the case in line with the International Health Regulations. Arrangements for the patient's safe and dignified burial are being made in line with Ebola public health protocols. The Ministry has urged members of the public to remain calm while observing preventive measures and cooperating with health authorities.
Key points
- Former Chief Justice David Maraga questions Kenya's preparedness and response to the country's first confirmed Ebola case.
- The patient, a Kenyan citizen, had been living in the Democratic Republic of Congo for seven years before travelling to Kenya, where he died while receiving treatment at Nairobi Hospital.
- The Ministry of Health has intensified contact tracing and is working to contain the spread of the disease.
