Duale meets US officials, partners to review Kenya’s Ebola preparedness

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale when he chaired the meeting at his Afya House office on July 2, 2026/MOH

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale
Thursday chaired a high-level consultative meeting with officials
from the US government, implementing partners and other stakeholders
to review Kenya’s preparedness for a potential Ebola outbreak and
coordinate the next phase of support.

The meeting assessed the country’s current level of readiness,
identified critical gaps and aligned priority interventions aimed at
strengthening Kenya’s capacity to respond swiftly should an Ebola
case be detected.

The discussions come as Kenya remains on heightened alert
following the regional outbreak of Bundibugyo Ebola virus disease.

Although the country has not recorded any confirmed cases, the
Ministry of Health says it is maintaining heightened surveillance to
minimise the risk of importation and ensure rapid detection of any
suspected infections.

“While no case has been reported in the country, we remain on
high alert, guided by the understanding that preparedness is our
strongest defence against public health emergencies,” Duale
said.

According to the CS, the government has strengthened several key
areas of outbreak preparedness, including disease surveillance,
laboratory testing capacity, screening at points of entry, emergency
coordination mechanisms and the preparedness of frontline healthcare
workers.

Through the Incident Management System coordinated by the Kenya
National Public Health Institute, 25 counties considered to be at the
highest risk have been prioritised for targeted preparedness
activities.

These interventions have contributed to an Ebola readiness score
of 66 per cent, according to the Ministry of Health.

Duale said preparedness should be measured by the country’s
ability to act before an outbreak occurs rather than after cases have
already been confirmed.

He called on development partners to expedite support for critical
areas, including the establishment of isolation facilities,
procurement of personal protective equipment (PPE), strengthening
laboratory and disease surveillance systems, and deployment of
trained frontline health workers in high-risk counties.

“We must continue investing in preparedness because early
action is essential to protecting lives and preventing the spread of
infectious diseases,” he said.

The Cabinet Secretary also acknowledged the long-standing
partnership between Kenya and the United States in strengthening the
country’s health security systems.

He said US support has been instrumental in enhancing disease
surveillance, expanding laboratory networks, developing the public
health workforce and improving emergency preparedness.

Duale reaffirmed the government’s commitment to transparency,
accountability and coordinated implementation of health programmes
through the “One Plan, One Budget and One Monitoring Framework”
approach, which seeks to ensure all partners work under a unified
national strategy.

The meeting was attended by Principal Secretaries Ouma Oluga
(Medical Services), Mary Muthoni (Public Health), Director-General
for Health Patrick Amoth, Acting Country Director for Kenya at the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) Jennifer Galbraith,
representatives of the US Department of State, development partners,
implementing agencies, heads of directorates within the Ministry of
Health and Acting KNPHI CEO Kamene Kimenye.

While Kenya has not reported any cases of the disease, Duale said
they will continue strengthening surveillance and preparedness
measures as neighbouring countries respond to the regional outbreak.

The Ministry has urged the public to remain vigilant and report
any suspected cases promptly while assuring Kenyans that contingency
plans remain in place to safeguard public health.