Ebola alert: Nurses’ union steps up preparedness among members

The Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) has urged health workers to exercise heightened caution in the line of duty following the death of Kenya’s first confirmed Ebola patient.

Speaking in Kisumu on Monday, October 12, 2026, at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital, KNUN officials said measures had been put in place to contain the spread of the deadly disease.

KNUN secretary general Seth Panyako called on the government, through the Ministry of Health, to ensure strict adherence to protocols issued by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on the management of Ebola and other disease outbreaks.

“As a union, we understand and appreciate that one case of Ebola in Kenya has been confirmed and that the patient has died. Ours is to urge the Government of Kenya, the Ministry of Health, to ensure that the protocol set by the WHO on the management of Ebola and other outbreaks within this country and the world at large is strictly adhered to,” Panyako said.

He stressed the need for health workers to follow established safety guidelines to protect themselves and prevent further transmission of the disease.

This comes days after their Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) counterparts called for urgent measures to protect healthcare workers following the confirmation of an imported Ebola virus disease case in Kenya and the subsequent death of the patient.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, KMPDU extended its condolences to the deceased’s family and loved ones and recognised healthcare workers who attended to the patient and continue working under challenging circumstances.

The union said the development must be treated with the seriousness it deserves, while acknowledging the Ministry of Health’s activation of contact tracing and outbreak response measures.

However, KMPDU said the response must prioritise the protection of healthcare workers, who it described as the first line of defence during a public health emergency.

“Our healthcare workers must not be the weakest link in our response. They must be our first line of protection,” the union said.

KMPDU called for all healthcare workers who may have come into contact with the patient, whether at Nairobi Hospital or other points of care, to receive immediate medical monitoring, psychological support and appropriate follow-up.

“All healthcare workers who may have come into contact with the patient, whether at Nairobi Hospital or other points of care, must receive immediate medical monitoring, psychological support and appropriate follow-up.”