Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has formally declared Bundibugyo Ebola a highly contagious disease under the Public Health Act. This declaration, published in the Kenya Gazette on October 12, 2026, paves the way for the government to enforce legal measures to prevent and control the spread of the disease. The move follows the confirmation of Kenya's first imported case of Ebola in a Kenyan national who had been living in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The patient, who travelled by road from the DRC to Kampala, Uganda, before flying to Nairobi on October 3, was taken directly from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to Nairobi Hospital, where he was isolated and treated. Unfortunately, he later died, with the Ministry of Health confirming the case on October 6. Following the confirmation, authorities intensified surveillance, contact tracing, and other public health measures to limit the risk of further transmission.
Family members and healthcare workers who attended to the patient were placed under quarantine, while efforts began to trace passengers who may have come into contact with him during the flight to Kenya. The government has also developed new rules to guide the prevention and control of the disease. These rules, outlined in Legal Notice No. 204, titled “The Public Health (Ebola Disease) Rules, 2026”, provide for screening at points of entry, reporting suspected cases, testing, contact tracing, isolation, and quarantine.
The rules also set out requirements for decontamination and the safe handling and burial of people who die from suspected or confirmed Ebola. Under the rules, the Kenya National Public Health Institute is designated as the lead national technical institution responsible for coordinating prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery. The measures are subject to review at intervals not exceeding three months and have a time limit for their application.
The declaration comes amid a regional outbreak of Bundibugyo Ebola affecting the DRC and Uganda, prompting heightened surveillance and preparedness measures in Kenya. Before the imported case was confirmed, the government had indicated it was prepared to formally gazette the disease if a case was detected in the country. The new legal framework provides a basis for public health authorities to implement measures aimed at detecting suspected cases, tracing contacts, and limiting transmission.
The Kenya Gazette declaration is accompanied by Legal Notice No. 203, issued under Section 35 of the Public Health Act, in which Duale declared: “The Ebola (Bundibugyo Virus) Disease is hereby declared to be a formidable epidemic disease.” This move enables the government to enforce measures to curb the spread of the disease. The rules also set a time limit for their application, stating that “These Rules shall cease to have effect twelve months after commencement, unless earlier revoked.”
The government has intensified measures to prevent and control the spread of Ebola. Key among these measures is the designation of the Kenya National Public Health Institute as the lead national technical institution responsible for coordinating prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery. The institute will work closely with other stakeholders to implement the new rules and guidelines.
Key points
- The declaration of Ebola as a highly contagious disease enables the Kenyan government to enforce measures to curb its spread.
- The new rules provide for screening at points of entry, reporting suspected cases, testing, contact tracing, isolation, and quarantine.
- The Kenya National Public Health Institute is designated as the lead national technical institution responsible for coordinating prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery.
