We’re Safe from Ebola, CS Duale assures Kenyans as he warns against spreading panic

Health CS Aden Duale in Kamuthe, Fafi subcounty /STEPHEN ASTARIKO Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:”Table Normal”; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:””; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:8.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:107%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:”Calibri”,sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:”Times New Roman”; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}

Kenya remains safe following confirmation of its first imported Ebola case, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has said and urged the public to remain calm as the government intensifies measures to prevent further infections.

Speaking in Kamuthe, Fafi subcounty, Garissa, on Friday, Duale said the country had the capacity to detect, isolate and manage suspected cases, insisting that one imported case did not automatically mean Kenya was experiencing an outbreak.

The CS addressed residents after commissioning a borehole he personally funded following requests over persistent water shortages in the area.

“On Ebola, I want to reassure the public that Kenya is not experiencing an outbreak. The confirmed case was imported, and we have put the necessary measures in place to contain the situation,” Duale said.

He said the government was taking precautions to prevent further infections and urged Kenyans to distinguish between preparedness measures and evidence of widespread transmission.

“We are safe, sound and ready. We detect and quarantine people, and I think our country is on the right track. I want to tell Kenyans that the country is safe. Let us continue with our normal daily lives. The Ministry of Health is on top of everything,” he said.

Duale, who was accompanied by former Garissa Governor Ali Korane, Lafey MP Mohamed Abdikheir and former Garissa Woman Representative Anab Gure, cautioned against spreading alarm and misinformation about the disease.

He warned that portraying Kenya as unsafe on the basis of a single imported case could hurt tourism, discourage investment and disrupt international engagement, even as health authorities continued to monitor the situation.

His remarks come amid public concern following confirmation on October 6 of Kenya’s first laboratory-confirmed imported case of Bundibugyo Ebola virus disease involving a Kenyan national who had been living in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The patient, who had reportedly been ill for about a month, travelled by road from the DRC to Kampala, Uganda, before flying to Nairobi on October 3.

He was taken to Nairobi Hospital, where he was isolated and assessed before testing positive for the virus. He died on October 6.

The Ministry of Health subsequently initiated contact tracing, quarantine and enhanced surveillance to establish whether the patient had transmitted the virus to anyone else.

The World Health Organization also confirmed the imported case and said public health response measures had been initiated in Kenya and Uganda.

Duale has urged foreign governments and international partners to base their decisions on scientific evidence and verified public health information rather than fear.

He has also called on airlines to maintain their operations, tourists to continue visiting Kenya and businesses to proceed with normal activities, warning that disproportionate travel and trade restrictions could cause economic harm without necessarily improving public health protection.

The Ministry of Health has emphasised early detection, laboratory testing, isolation of suspected cases and strict infection-prevention measures in healthcare facilities as key elements of the response.

Ebola is a severe viral disease that can cause serious illness and death. It spreads primarily through direct contact with the blood or other bodily fluids of an infected person who is symptomatic, or with contaminated materials. Contact with the body of someone who has died from the disease can also transmit the virus.

Symptoms may include fever, fatigue, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, vomiting and diarrhoea. In some cases, unexplained bleeding may occur. Because early symptoms can resemble those of other illnesses, medical assessment and laboratory testing are essential.

The case involves the Bundibugyo virus, a strain associated with outbreaks in the DRC. The regional situation underscores the need for continued surveillance and a coordinated public health response.

Although an imported case does not by itself establish sustained transmission within Kenya, health authorities must continue tracing contacts and monitoring for additional infections to determine whether further spread has occurred.

Kenyans have been urged to seek medical attention if they develop concerning symptoms after a possible exposure and to follow official guidance from the Ministry of Health rather than rely on unverified information circulating on social media.

Health CS Aden Duale after commissioning the Kamuthe borehole /STEPHEN ASTARIKO

Garissa governorship aspirant Ali Korane /STEPHEN ASTARIKO