Duale Declares Ebola a Major Public Health Threat, Issues New Rules in Kenya
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has declared Ebola, caused by that nasty Bundibugyo virus, a full-blown epidemic disease. This move clears the way for a whole lot more screening, surveillance and infection-control measures in Kenya.
The declaration was published in the Kenyan Gazette on Monday, October 12, 2026. Alongside this, it’s come some new regulations that outline exactly how health authorities are supposed to handle suspected and confirmed Ebola cases. They also lay out what they need to do to keep an eye on people who might’ve been exposed to the virus and stop the disease spreading.
The government put these regulations out through Legal Notice No 203 and 204 – Section 35 and 36 of the Public Health Act respectively.
Here’s how – in essence – the official declaration went : “This Order will be known as the Public Health (Declaration of Formidable Epidemic Disease) Order, 2026. The Ebola (Bundibugyo Virus) Disease, is hereby declared to be a formidable epidemic disease”
New Ebola Screening Rules Introduced at Kenya’s Borders
The new rules introduce screening measures at airports, seaports and land border crossings, to help identify people who might need a closer look from a medic.
At these borders – port health officers are given the power to review health declarations, ask travellers about their symptoms and what they’ve been up to lately, check whether they might have been exposed to the virus, keep an eye out for any tell-tale signs of illness and just check their body temperature.
If someone is suspected of having Ebola, they’ll be given a closer medical assessment to see if they can be sent off to isolation to cut the risk of the disease spreading.
Part of these new regulations also sets out what public health duties these transport operators should be doing and anyone who thinks their premises or vehicles might be contaminated – the relevant authorities will come in to do an inspection and get rid of any nasties that might be on the premises
People who’ve been in close contact with suspected or confirmed cases will also be put under medical supervision, or monitored or put under quarantine in line with the rules for public health.
Health Facilities Required to Report Suspected Ebola Cases
The new rules require health facilities, doctors and labs to let the relevant authorities know if they suspect or confirm someone has Ebola.
A confirmed case is basically a person – living or dead, whose infection has been confirmed through some proper lab tests.
These rules also lay out how to go about contact tracing – to find and monitor people who might have come into contact with the virus through a person who’s got it, or through the stuff they’ve come into contact with. authorities will be co-ordinating investigations, testing, isolating and keeping an eye on things to help pick up on this disease early and stop it spreading too far.
The rules also state who’s going to be managing Ebola cases and what they have to do to stop the infection from spreading
New Rules Cover Ebola Quarantine and Contact Tracing
Now that the new framework is in place, health teams can sniff out people who may have been exposed to Ebola and figure out whether they need to be kept under medical supervision or if some extra public health precautions need to be put in place.
Contact tracing is all about identifying the people a suspected or confirmed case has been in contact with and working out what they were exposed to.
Depending on what happened, health officials will either keep an eye on people who were exposed or put them under house arrest to stop the disease from spreading any further.
The new rules also sort out how to handle suspected and confirmed cases in a way that means investigations and medical treatment are properly coordinated.
Government Introduces New Ebola Burial Rules
The new regulations also cover what’s involved in safely and with dignity dealing with the bodies of people who die from Ebola.
They outline all the things that need to happen regarding disposing of bodies, keeping records of burials, how to transport and repatriate the deceased.
The aim is to make sure that the risk of infection when handling and moving bodies is minimised, while at the same time making sure that public health requirements are met.
News outlets have a role to play in public education, and law enforcers will be there to lend a hand to health officials implementing the rules.
The rules also make it clear what the consequences are for not following them, and stress the importance of keeping prevention and control measures in check to avoid infringing on human rights and dignity.
What Kenyans Need to Know About the Bundibugyo Virus
The declaration specifically covers Ebola disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus, one of the lot that’s linked to Ebola.
The new rules make it clear that Ebola can include infections caused by the Ebola virus, the Sudan virus, the Bundibugyo virus and the Taï Forest virus.
If you catch Ebola, it can be pretty nasty. You might get a fever, feel knackered, have aches all over, a headache, a sore throat, be sick, get diarrhoea, and in some cases you might even start bleeding. But be aware that by itself that’s not enough to confirm you’ve got the disease – other illnesses can cause the same symptoms.
The disease usually gets spread round by direct contact with blood or other bodily fluids of someone who is showing symptoms, or by touching things that have been in contact with infected bodily fluids. That’s why getting in the right infection-prevention measures and seeing a doctor right away is so key if you think you might have been exposed.
If Kenyans think they may have been exposed, the advice is to get in touch with the health team and avoid being in contact with other people until they can assess the risk.
And just to be clear – the declaration itself is not proof that an Ebola outbreak has actually happened in Kenya. You’ll need to wait for official word from the Ministry of Health before you start freaking out.
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Duale Declares Ebola a Major Public Health Threat, Issues New Rules in Kenya
