Anyone entering or leaving Kenya must now be screened for Ebola and fill in a health declaration, after Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale declared Bundibugyo Ebola a “formidable epidemic disease” in a special gazette notice dated October 12, 2026. Contacts of suspected or confirmed cases face 21 days of quarantine, and breaking the rules is a criminal offence under Section 164 of the Public Health Act.
By the 254.ke Newsroom
What did Duale gazette on October 12?
Two instruments were published in a special issue of the Kenya Gazette Supplement. Legal Notice No. 203 is the Public Health (Declaration of Formidable Epidemic Disease) Order, 2026. Legal Notice No. 204 sets out the Public Health (Ebola Disease) Rules, 2026, which spell out how screening, isolation and burials are handled, according to Capital FM’s report on the notices and The Kenya Times’ summary of the rules.
The rules stay in force for 12 months unless revoked earlier. The Health CS must review whether they are still needed at least every three months.
What do the Ebola rules require from travellers?
- Screening: everyone entering or leaving Kenya must be screened at border points.
- Health declaration: travellers must give truthful details of their health, travel history, possible exposure and contact information.
- Refusal: port health officers may refer anyone who refuses screening or withholds information to immigration officers.
- Suspicion: where screening raises reasonable suspicion, officials must arrange assessment, testing, isolation and referral to a designated facility.
Airlines and ship operators must report suspected cases or possible Ebola deaths on board, and keep passenger and crew records for contact tracing. Port health officers can inspect and decontaminate vehicles, vessels and aircraft and restrict their use.
How long is quarantine, and what about burials?
| Issue | What the rules say |
|---|---|
| Quarantine | 21 days from last exposure for contacts of suspected or confirmed cases, with daily monitoring |
| Early release | Possible before 21 days if two diagnostic tests are negative |
| Handling bodies | Only trained staff in protective gear; sealed, leak-resistant body bags |
| Banned | Washing, embalming, and undressing or redressing bodies; transferring or repatriating a body outside Kenya |
| Family | Next of kin consulted; participation and religious or cultural observances allowed where consistent with infection control |
If a contact develops symptoms they must be moved to isolation. Any quarantine or travel restriction must state its grounds, duration and how it will be reviewed. Medical officers of health may ask the National Police Service to enforce isolation and quarantine orders.
What are the penalties?
Failing without reasonable excuse to comply with lawful screening, reporting, contact tracing, isolation, quarantine, decontamination or safe-burial requirements is an offence. So is knowingly giving false or misleading information, or helping someone escape or try to leave isolation or quarantine. Offenders face penalties under Section 164 of the Public Health Act. The reports reviewed do not state the fine or prison term.
How big is Kenya’s Ebola situation?
Kenya has confirmed one case, which the government says was imported. Citizen Digital reported on October 7 that the patient travelled from the Democratic Republic of Congo through Kampala to Nairobi, was treated at Nairobi Hospital and died. Duale told NTV the country does not have an outbreak. Eleven family members, 23 health workers and four Jambojet crew were quarantined at that stage, as set out in our earlier report on the first confirmed case.
The Standard has since reported that of 293 samples from 289 alerts only the imported case tested positive, that 667,675 travellers have been screened across 26 entry points, and that 241 isolation beds are available in five hospitals in Nairobi, Eldoret and Mombasa. Duale said those in quarantine are monitored daily and none had developed symptoms. The Standard’s pages give differing contact totals (108 and 122), so the exact figure is unconfirmed. For background on readiness before the case, see Kenya Ebola preparedness: which counties are ready.
FAQ
Does Kenya have an Ebola outbreak?
The government says no. It describes the single confirmed case as imported from the DRC. The declaration is a legal step that enables stronger measures.
Do I have to fill in a health form to travel?
Yes. Under the new rules, everyone entering or leaving Kenya must be screened and complete a health declaration.
Can families wash or embalm a body in a suspected Ebola death?
No. The rules prohibit washing and embalming, and only trained personnel may handle the body. Families may take part in burial observances that are consistent with infection control.
What should I do if I think I was exposed?
Duale has told people with symptoms or possible exposure to use the Ministry of Health’s toll-free emergency helpline. Official updates are published by the Ministry of Health.
Information as of October 14, 2026. Sources: Capital FM, The Kenya Times, Citizen Digital, The Standard.
