Kenya gazettes Bundibugyo Ebola as formidable epidemic disease under the Public Health Act
The regulations require anyone who knows or reasonably suspects that a person has Ebola, or has died from the disease, to notify a medical officer of health, the nearest health facility or a national government administrative officer immediately.
KENYA—Kenya’s government has declared Ebola disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus a formidable epidemic disease, introducing new legal measures to strengthen surveillance, prevent transmission and regulate the management of suspected infections.
In a special Kenya Gazette Supplement No. 240 dated October 12, 2026, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale issued Legal Notice No. 203 under Section 35 of the Public Health Act.
A second notice, Legal Notice No. 204, published the Public Health (Ebola Disease) Rules, 2026, detailing the procedures for controlling the disease.
Mandatory reporting, isolation and contact tracing
The regulations require anyone who knows or reasonably suspects that a person has Ebola or has died from the disease, to notify a medical officer of health, the nearest health facility or a national government administrative officer immediately.
Healthcare professionals, facility managers, and laboratories must also report suspected or confirmed cases and deaths without delay.
Medical officers of health are responsible for investigating reports, identifying potentially exposed individuals and coordinating contact tracing.
The rules empower medical officers to order isolation for suspected or confirmed cases and quarantine for exposed contacts.
Individuals under quarantine must undergo daily symptom monitoring for 21 days after their last relevant exposure.
Authorities must review restrictions and end them when the reasons for imposing them no longer apply.
People under compulsory isolation or quarantine must receive appropriate medical care, food, water and essential assistance.
The government covers these costs in public facilities, while individuals generally pay for care in private facilities unless an authorised officer directs their placement in writing.
Laboratory testing and border screening
The regulations restrict Ebola testing to Kenya’s national reference laboratory or another facility designated by the Cabinet Secretary.
Laboratories that receive specimens from suspected cases but lack authorisation to test them must refer the samples to an approved facility.
At ports of entry and exit, port health officers may screen travellers, request health declarations and impose appropriate quarantine or travel restrictions based on exposure assessments.
However, arrival from an Ebola-affected country alone does not justify restrictions without an assessment of possible exposure.
Operators of international transport services must report suspected cases or deaths on board, retain passenger and crew records for contact tracing, and cooperate with public health authorities.
These requirements place additional responsibilities on hospitals, laboratories, airlines and other transport operators to maintain reporting systems, specimen referral procedures and records that support outbreak investigations.
Safe handling of bodies and enforcement
The rules require trained personnel wearing appropriate protective equipment to handle bodies of people who die from suspected or confirmed Ebola.
Bodies must be placed in sealed, leak resistant bags, while washing, embalming and dressing for funerals are prohibited.
Burials must take place without undue delay at lawful sites, subject to registration and applicable permits.
Families may observe religious and cultural practices where these do not compromise infection prevention.
The rules prohibit transferring or repatriating Ebola victims’ bodies outside Kenya.
Failure without reasonable excuse to comply with lawful screening, reporting, isolation, quarantine, decontamination or safe burial requirements constitutes an offence punishable under Section 164 of the Public Health Act.
Medical officers may seek National Police Service assistance to enforce lawful orders.
The framework comes amid heightened surveillance following the reported confirmation of an imported Ebola case linked to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The declaration establishes a legal basis for control measures but does not, by itself, declare a nationwide outbreak.
The rules cover Ebola, Sudan, Bundibugyo, and Taï Forest viruses.
Duale must review the continued need for the measures at intervals of no more than three months.
The regulations expire 12 months after commencement unless revoked earlier.
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