Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has assured the international community that Kenya remains open to travellers, tourists, businesses and investors despite confirmation of an imported Ebola case.

🇰🇪 Breaking It Down

Duale gave the assurance on Thursday, October 8, during a meeting with diplomats, international organisations and development partners on the country’s response to the case.

The CS reiterated that the presence of one imported case does not indicate an outbreak and called for decisions about the country to be based on verified health information.

“I assured our international partners that Kenya remains safe, open and vigilant. The single imported case does not, on its own, indicate widespread transmission and our response continues to be guided by verified epidemiological data, scientific advice and established public health protocols,” he said.

📌 What You Need to Know

Duale’s remarks come as concerns about the risk of Ebola have prompted heightened vigilance among foreign governments and the international community over travel to Kenya.

Both the United States and United Kingdom issued advisories urging their citizens to exercise caution over travel to Kenya following the Ebola case and death.

The U.S. Embassy advised Americans who may have been exposed to monitor their health and seek medical guidance if they develop symptoms, while the UK advised against all but essential travel to parts of Kenya.

The ministry confirmed on October 6 that a traveller from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) had died in Kenya after contracting Ebola, with 57 contacts identified and 10 placed in quarantine as tracing continued.

In response, the World Health Organisation (WHO) urged Kenya to keep its borders open, arguing that targeted health measures would be more effective in containing the Ebola threat than broad travel and trade restrictions.

Duale said the country’s response is centred on detecting potential cases early, safely isolating patients, conducting rapid tests and tracing people who may have been exposed.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke