Kenya says it has been treated unfairly by other countries over the Ebola outbreak and is demanding that the travel bans imposed on its travellers be reversed.
A day after Kenya formally protested to Saudi Arabia over its ban on arrivals and transits from Kenya, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said the country had already achieved 100 percent contact tracing, preventing the disease from spreading to the community.
Health CS Aden Duale at a past event.
Photo credit: File
Yet Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Madagascar, El Salvador and others have imposed varied restrictions on people travelling directly from Kenya or transiting through the country. Kenya’s reaction has been that the world is being unfair to a country that has defended itself resolutely and shared information as the World Health Organization requires.
“We are the only country in the world which has achieved 100 percent contact tracing of the people who came into contact with the affected persons. This is an effort that should be appreciated, not condemned,” Mr Duale told the National Assembly committee on Delegated Legislation.
Somehow, Kenya feels its peers are not sincere with their policies toward the infections. It says that while Nairobi has been open on how it has managed Ebola cases, it has been punished for it.
“The International Health Regulations put the contact tracing at 85 percent, but Kenya attained 100 percent. This shows the robust effort and measures our country has put in place to contain the disease,” Mr Duale said.
Yesterday, Kenya said it was releasing five patients who have been cured of the viral disease. It also allowed 46 contacts of the patients who have completed their quarantine period of 21 days and tested negative for the disease to go home.
Earlier on Sunday, the Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Ministry said it had written to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, protesting the ban on travellers. Kenya said in a note verbale to Riyadh that the decision to impose a blanket ban was not backed by evidence.
More than 350 Kenyan workers seeking employment in Saudi Arabia have been forced to return home after being denied entry over Ebola-related travel restrictions, prompting Nairobi to open urgent diplomatic talks with Riyadh and Kuwait.
The workers, despite holding valid employment visas, were stranded at Sharjah Airport in the United Arab Emirates for four days before boarding a flight back to Kenya, which landed at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) at about 1:30pm on Monday, 2 November 2026.
The restrictions have also disrupted the travel plans of hundreds of other jobseekers, with recruitment agencies warning that thousands of applicants could be affected if the measures remain in place.
The Association of Skilled Migrant Agencies of Kenya (ASMAK) said more than 350 workers were returning home, while approximately 150 others remained in transit. Documents for another 2,200 applicants had already been processed, with the workers expected to travel.
“Already, more than 350 workers are on their way back, and most of them are here. We estimate that about 150 are still in transit,” ASMAK Assistant Secretary General Elab Muridi said.
The association’s chairman, Francis Wahome, said recruitment partners in Gulf Cooperation Council countries were equally caught off guard, with agencies yet to receive formal communication from the Kenyan government explaining the restrictions.
Travellers arrive for health screening at Murtala Muhammed International Airport following reports of an Ebola case in Nigeria, in Lagos, Nigeria, October 22, 2026.
Photo credit: Reuters
“Even our partners in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and other Gulf Cooperation Council countries were shocked. They have been calling us to ask what is happening. Everyone in the recruitment sector is seeking answers from colleagues and the government because we have not received any formal communication from the government,” Mr Wahome said.
ASMAK secretary-general Monica Mwema said the restrictions had disrupted confirmed bookings and scheduled departures, leaving recruitment agencies uncertain about how the 21-day travel rule would be implemented.
“We have people who are coming back because they were not allowed to enter Saudi Arabia. Others have confirmed tickets, with some scheduled to leave tonight and others tomorrow. We have been caught off guard and are seeking clarity on the 21-day restriction. What does it mean?” Ms Mwema posed.
Kuwait, another Gulf country with a significant Kenyan diaspora, also followed with a ban of its own. It told airlines in a circular that Kenyans or anyone who has been in Kenya lately will not be allowed onto Kuwait territory, unless that person spends at least 21 days in an Ebola-free third country. In fact, these countries have now imposed these kinds of restrictions on Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The US now demands specified airports for entry of people who have stayed in these countries, for extra screening.
On Monday, diplomats at the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs held talks with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, two Gulf countries with a significant Kenyan diaspora that have nonetheless imposed travel bans.
Mr Josephat Maikara, Kenya’s Director General for Political Affairs at the Ministry, Mr Dennis Mburu, Deputy Director General for Africa Affairs, and Mr Sora Katelo, Director of the Middle East Directorate, met Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Kenya, Saad Abdullah Al Nofaia, and Mr Sami Talal Alenezi, Kuwait’s Chargé d’Affaires in Kenya.
“While affirming the strong ties between Kenya and both the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the State of Kuwait, the Director General expressed Kenya’s concern over the decision to suspend arrivals, particularly given Kenya’s compliance with the respective guidelines issued by the World Health Organization (WHO),” a dispatch said on Monday evening.
“He further noted that, through prompt efforts, Kenya has successfully contained the outbreak, with no new cases reported since 19th October 2026. In light of this, the Director General indicated that Kenya requests a review and lifting of the restrictions.”
Mr Duale was appearing before the committee over the Public Health (Ebola Disease) Rules, 2026, and was responding to a question from Kigumo MP Joseph Munyoro, who sought to know the efforts being put in place by the government to ensure that Kenyans travelling outside the country are not condemned unfairly.
Blood sample drawn from patients suspected to be infected with Ebola should be tested within a short time to avoid further transmission.
Photo credit: Shutterstock
“What measures are you taking so that we are not punished by other foreign governments for a mistake that is not entirely ours?” asked Mr Munyoro.
The lawmakers also sought to know from the ministry the efforts being put in place to ensure that those coming in from other countries are screened in order to avoid the same mistake that led to Kenya recording its first case.
“We have a fully-fledged unit at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) headed by a General assisted by other immigration officers,” Mr Duale said.
“We have a dedicated gate where people from countries with high infections are thoroughly screened before being allowed into the country. The travellers also have to fill in a health declaration form before boarding, and giving any false information leads to punishment,” Mr Duale said.
He pointed out that the biggest headache the country is facing is the illegal entry routes into the country that are not manned.
“All our designated entry routes are well manned; the problem is with the illegal areas,” Mr Duale said.