Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has assured the country that the government has put in place a series of measures, including screening at the airports, seaports, and border points, to keep the country safe from the Ebola virus.
Speaking during a fundraising event in Darulhikma Village, Bura constituency in Tana River County, the CS said that the national government had intensified surveillance and preparedness measures, including the training of healthcare workers and the construction of a quarantine facility in Laikipia.
According to Duale, more than 800 health workers are currently undergoing training, while 29 counties have already identified response teams and are working closely with the Ministry of Health, the Kenya National Public Health Institute, and the Council of Governors.
The CS’s sentiment comes as Kenyans raise concerns over the construction of a quarantine facility in the country for US nationals, with fears that the deadly virus, first declared in the DRC on May 15, could spread within our borders.
At least 452 cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda have been confirmed, causing 82 deaths.
However, the CS said that in the country, at least 88,000 people have been tested and all turned negative.
“We have tested 67 people as of yesterday; all of them have turned negative, and we have done enough preparation. The country is on high alert, as we have this morning screened 88,000 people at the borders, at the airport, and at the seaport,” Duale said.
“All our laboratories are on high alert. The Kenyatta National Hospital, the national police service hospital, and Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret have created enough beds within their isolation units in the event we get a case,” he added.
The health CS defended that partnership with the US to build a quarantine facility, noting that the facility was not just for now but also for future eventualities in case of other disease outbreaks.
“We are partnering with the US to build a quarantine, isolation, and treatment facility, a high-end facility dealing with infectious diseases for now and for the future. We want to prepare for any eventuality because this is the 17th Ebola outbreak,” he said.
“As a country with a very robust healthcare system, the best in our region, we are prepared, and we will not take it lightly. I want to assure the citizens that our healthcare personnel, including the 170 healthcare workers who went to Liberia and Sierra Leone in 2015 to treat Ebola victims, are here in the country; they are undergoing training, and we will continue to train more,” he added.
To improve public awareness and early reporting, the Ministry of Health has also established a toll-free reporting platform for citizens experiencing symptoms associated with Ebola.
“We have set up a toll number, *719#, where citizens can call or send a text if they experience any medical condition. If you feel a headache, vomiting, or any symptoms of concern, all these arrangements have been made,” Duale said.
Duale’s remarks come days after President William Ruto strongly defended the government’s decision to establish an Ebola preparedness facility at the Laikipia Air Base, dismissing criticism from political leaders and insisting that Kenya must remain ready for future public health emergencies.
Speaking during a roundtable interview with northeastern-based journalists at the Wajir State Lodge, the president said preparedness should never be politicized.
“We are a responsible government. We know what we are doing. People should relax. Politicians should avoid reckless, unnecessary talk that doesn’t mean anything,” Ruto said.
By Erick Kyalo
