Kenya mobilises Ebola supplies as health ministry strengthens outbreak preparedness
The Ministry of Health will coordinate distribution to counties, while the Mission for Essential Drugs and Supplies will deliver the commodities after allocations are confirmed.
KENYA—Kenya’s Ministry of Health has mobilised medical supplies, personal protective equipment (PPE) and laboratory equipment with support from the United States Government and UNICEF to protect health workers and contain the spread of Ebola virus disease.
Principal Secretary for Public Health and Professional Standards Mary Muthoni Muriuki and Dr Runa Gokhale, Director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Kenya, led the flag-off of the supplies as the country strengthened its response to the Bundibugyo virus disease outbreak.
Partners contribute US$470,000 in protective supplies
Amref Health Africa handed over infection prevention and control (IPC) commodities valued at KES 14.4 million (US$111,600), funded by the US Department of State.
FHI 360 contributed a further KES 46.7 million (US$362,000) through its Strides project, bringing the combined value to KES 61.1 million (US$473,600), according to Muriuki.
Amref’s contribution includes 3,600 N95 respirators, 3,600 pairs of nitrile gloves, 1,332 face shields, 9,000 bottles of hand sanitiser, 18,000 biomedical waste bags, and 60 body bags for safe and dignified burials.
The consignment also contains protective clothing, liquid soap, sharps containers, waste bins and rubber boots.
The Ministry of Health will coordinate distribution to counties, while the Mission for Essential Drugs and Supplies will deliver the commodities after allocations are confirmed.
County authorities must ensure that facilities use the supplies appropriately and maintain distribution records.
“Preparedness is not just about having supplies on hand. It is about building the systems, skills and partnerships that allow health workers to detect cases early, protect themselves and patients, and act quickly when an outbreak occurs,” Gokhale said.
Training and surveillance support response
Muriuki said Kenya had initially recorded one imported case, prompting efforts to contain further transmission.
The Ministry subsequently confirmed a second case involving a close contact who had been quarantined and monitored before developing symptoms.
Officials described it as the first contact-to-contact transmission recorded within Kenya, with no evidence at the time of wider community transmission.
The government adopted a national preparedness and response plan following the World Health Organization’s 17 May 2026 declaration of a public health emergency of international concern over the Bundibugyo virus disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.
Since July, the Ministry, the Kenya National Public Health Institute, county governments and partners have coordinated preparedness activities across 13 high-risk counties.
A US Department of State investment of US$2.4 million supports frontline training, surveillance, risk communication, IPC, and emergency response.
A July national assessment placed Kenya’s readiness at 82%.
Under the programme, 1,469 frontline health workers received training in surveillance, case management, contact tracing, IPC and community engagement.
The country has also contracted 134 health workers across Migori, Busia and Turkana counties.
They can be deployed within 24 to 48 hours of a verified alert to support contact tracing, emergency response and safe burial teams.
Community outreach and supply accountability
Preparedness activities have also trained 163 county officers in safe burial procedures, sensitised 3,384 community actors and equipped 240 county officials with risk communication and rumour-tracking skills.
A month-long radio campaign on Ramogi FM, Mulembe FM and Sulwe FM reached an estimated seven million people.
The Ministry and the Kenya National Public Health Institute will oversee commodity allocation, with Muriuki urging counties to document consignments and ensure appropriate PPE use.
The readiness assessment identified IPC, logistics and safe burials as areas requiring further attention.
Amref is also working with the Ministry on planned outreach to truck drivers, mobile populations and communities near informal border crossings.
Its Kenya Country Director, Dr Meshack Ndirangu Wanjuki, urged the public to remain calm, follow official guidance and rely on verified information.
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