Kenya: Ruto Orders Enhanced Ebola Response As Kenya Traces 27 Passengers

What the report says

Kenyan President William Ruto has ordered the National Security Council Committee to review the country’s Ebola situation and propose further steps after the death of Kenya’s first confirmed imported Ebola case, according to Capital FM as republished by AllAfrica. The patient had arrived from the Democratic Republic of Congo and later tested positive for Ebola before dying in Kenya.

The government said it has stepped up surveillance, contact tracing, testing and other public health measures to limit any further spread. Officials said eight family members of the deceased are in quarantine, along with 21 healthcare workers who treated the patient. Authorities have also traced passengers on the same flight, identifying and contacting 27 people who may have been exposed.

State House said no additional Ebola cases had been detected as of the report’s publication. It also said Kenya had screened more than 652,000 travellers and tested 267 samples across multiple laboratories, with only the deceased patient returning a positive result. The report adds that several hospitals and isolation centres have been designated to handle suspected or confirmed cases, and thousands of health workers have been trained.

The development matters because it shows Kenya tightening preparedness after an imported case linked to the wider Ebola outbreak in the region. Public health officials are urging calm, vigilance and prompt reporting of symptoms, while the Ministry of Health is expected to issue more guidance.