Kenya has formally classified Ebola as a formidable epidemic disease under the Public Health Act, establishing a legal framework to guide the country’s response to any outbreak of the virus. Kenyan government declares Ebola a formidable epidemic disease. Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale gazetted the declaration on October 12, 2026, through Legal Notice No. 203, invoking Section 35 of the Public Health Act to formally recognise Ebola caused by the Bundibugyo virus under Kenyan law. New Ebola regulations published Alongside the declaration, the government released a second gazette notice, Legal Notice No. 204, containing the Public Health (Ebola Disease) Rules, 2026. The rules lay out a comprehensive set of measures for preventing and containing the spread of the disease within Kenya’s borders. The provisions include requirements for health screening at points of entry, medical assessment of suspected cases, isolation and referral of infected individuals, and monitoring of people who may have been exposed to the virus. The rules also cover transport operators and include provisions on vehicle inspections and decontamination procedures.
The regulations further establish a disease surveillance framework that places notification obligations on healthcare facilities, medical practitioners and laboratories, and provides for contact tracing and investigations once a case is identified. Health facilities will be formally designated to handle Ebola patients, and procedures are outlined for inspecting and decontaminating sites where infections may have occurred. The rules also govern the dignified handling of bodies, covering burial records, transportation and repatriation of the deceased. Additional provisions address public communication obligations for media houses, enforcement powers, offences and penalties, and specify the review period and duration of the regulations. What the Ebola declaration means for Kenya The legal classification does not amount to a declaration of a nationwide Ebola outbreak. Rather, it provides the government with the statutory authority to implement disease control and prevention measures more effectively. The move follows the confirmation of an imported Ebola case in Kenya connected to the Democratic Republic of Congo. Health authorities have since been conducting contact tracing and monitoring individuals potentially exposed to the virus. Ebola is a severe viral illness characterised by fever, weakness, vomiting, diarrhoea and, in some cases, internal and external bleeding. It spreads through direct contact with infected blood, other bodily fluids, or contaminated materials.
