Principal Secretary for Medical Services Ouma Oluga said Kenya has prepared for a worst-case Ebola outbreak and has implemented contingency measures, including shared quarantine facilities.
Oluga added that Kenya will strengthen its emergency response capacity as part of its preparedness efforts. He cited surveillance systems, isolation facilities, and coordination with international partners.
He said Kenya’s preparedness draws on past experience and ongoing monitoring of outbreaks across the region, especially in neighbouring countries.
“Laikipia Ebola facility is for everyone; it’s for Kenyans and for Americans. What we are looking at is a quarantine facility. Kenya is preparing itself to deal with Ebola adequately. We are prepared for the worst-case scenario,” Oluga said during an interview at NTV on Tuesday.
“We come from a point of privilege; we have prior information on this,” he said.
Oluga also revealed that the government has placed 37 Kenyans in quarantine after they returned from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The PS said authorities quarantined the travelers because concerns about Ebola transmission continue to remain high in the DRC. He added that the action shows how far Kenya’s surveillance systems reach as officials increase monitoring of people arriving from Ebola-affected areas in the region.
“We have our own KDF officers in DRC; we have two banks with huge employees in Congo. We have all these employees who are coming in,” Oluga said during an interview at NTV.
“Recently, I can disclose that we have already quarantined 37 Kenyans who are from Congo. They were not American citizens; they were the who’s who, some of them CEOs in the country who have businesses that are supporting mines in the DRC. We have several logistics companies there.”
Oluga noted that Kenya maintains major economic and security interests in the DRC, which leads to frequent movement between the two countries.
He said Kenya sends personnel through the Kenya Defence Forces to regional missions, employs staff from Kenyan banks that operate in the DRC, works with logistics companies, and includes business executives involved in the mining sector.
Oluga said the quarantine measures aim to prevent Kenya from importing Ebola cases.
The Ministry of Health says more than 2,200 health workers have already received training to respond to possible Ebola cases. Health officials have also carried out additional training during recent surveillance exercises after outbreaks in the region.
The health official said he trained at the Rwanda–DRC border during an Ebola outbreak in 2013, where he joined 90 Kenyan doctors. He added that Kenya keeps investing in preparedness.
Oluga said the fight against Ebola depends on cooperation between the government, health workers, and the public. He urged citizens to report any suspected cases through the Ministry of Health’s emergency reporting channels.
He also said concerns about the US–Kenya Ebola arrangement have grown out of proportion. Oluga added that the government continues to take every step possible to keep Ebola out of Kenya.
Oluga further clarified that the planned isolation facility in Laikipia will not serve only American citizens. He said the facility will expand Kenya’s overall response capacity.
The PS said the government will treat anyone who traveled from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) or Uganda within the last 21 days as a heightened risk.
“Every single citizen should help the country in its responsibility to protect itself,” he said.
He urged Kenyans to stay alert and report any suspected cases, particularly among people arriving from Ebola-affected regions.
Oluga also said the public can report concerns through the government’s Ebola hotline, 719.
