NAIROBI – Kenya (Axadle) Kenya has pushed back against Saudi Arabia’s decision to tighten travel rules for Kenyan nationals and passengers arriving from the country, insisting its Ebola response is under control and that the risk of wider spread remains contained.
Health Cabinet Secretary Hon. Aden Duale said Kenya’s containment strategy was working, stressing that there was no sign of community transmission and that no additional confirmed cases had been recorded since October 19, 2026.
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The outbreak was traced to an imported case of Bundibugyo Ebola virus disease in a Kenyan citizen who had spent seven years living in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The patient later died in Nairobi, triggering expanded surveillance, contact tracing and other emergency public health measures.
Duale said officials had located and monitored all 135 contacts linked to the index patient, placing 118 of them in quarantine. The eight confirmed infections were all epidemiologically connected to that first case and involved four healthcare workers and four close relatives. Authorities say no spread has been found outside that known cluster.
Saudi Arabia’s new restrictions include a suspension of travel by Saudi citizens to Kenya, a halt on visa issuance for people arriving from Kenya and a ban on entry for travelers who have been in Kenya or in any other country with an active Ebola outbreak during the 21 days before arrival.
Saudi health officials said the measures were guided by epidemiological risk assessments and were part of wider precautions intended to protect citizens, residents and visitors from possible exposure to the virus.
The steps also cover the suspension of visas for individuals coming from Kenya, as Saudi authorities expand preventive procedures aimed at travelers from countries classified as high-risk.
In June 2026, Saudi Arabia suspended travel to and from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda and South Sudan, while also increasing health screening and surveillance at points of entry for passengers arriving from surrounding areas.
Kenya has characterized the latest Saudi measures as excessive, arguing that cooperation and support from the international community are needed more than isolation. Nairobi maintains that its containment efforts are effectively restricting the disease’s spread.
