Kenya has ruled out hosting Ebola patients from other countries for quarantine, as it seeks to end its own outbreak and challenges travel restrictions imposed on Kenyan travellers.

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale says Kenya will not become a quarantine centre for foreign nationals seeking to meet entry requirements imposed by other countries.

He also ruled out issuing Ebola quarantine or disease-free certificates for people travelling abroad, saying such documents have no basis under the International Health Regulations.

The announcement comes as Kenya enters a critical phase in its response to the Bundibugyo virus outbreak. The government discharged the last patient on Wednesday, 11 November, and released the final 11 people who had been under quarantine after completing their monitoring period.

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Kenya has reported nine confirmed infections and two deaths since the outbreak began in October. Seven patients recovered, and no new infections have been reported since 19 October.

The country will now undergo 42 days of monitoring before it can be declared Ebola-free. If no further cases emerge, the countdown is expected to end on 23 December 2026.

But Duale warned that reaching the end of the countdown would not mean the government could relax its guard.

“The countdown is not the end of our response. During the 42 days, we will heighten vigilance and surveillance, and our teams will still continue doing what they did during the period,” he said.

Screening at the country's points of entry will continue, with health teams expected to investigate suspected cases and alerts.

Kenya pushes back against travel restrictions

Duale also used the announcement to challenge countries that have introduced travel and visa restrictions affecting Kenyans following the outbreak.

He argued that Kenya had been open about its infections, shared information with international health agencies and kept its borders open in line with public health guidance.

“We published our figures, we shared our data, we kept our borders open as international health regulations require,” he said.

He described the restrictions imposed by some jurisdictions as unfair, calling on them to reconsider their decisions.

“Regrettably, some jurisdictions responded to that honesty, transparency and accountability with blanket travel and visa restrictions on Kenya,” Duale added.

The CS maintained that there was no justification for treating Kenyan travellers as though the country still had active community transmission.

“Kenya has no patient under treatment, Kenya has no community transmission, Kenya has no contact in quarantine. There is no basis for restrictions for Kenyan travellers. Transparency must be rewarded, not punished,” he said.

The World Health Organization has also advised countries against imposing travel and trade restrictions in response to the Bundibugyo outbreak, recommending targeted public health measures instead. Its guidance supports surveillance, early detection and coordinated cross-border monitoring rather than blanket restrictions.

However, the end of Kenya's outbreak would not mean the regional threat has disappeared. The Democratic Republic of Congo continues to report substantial transmission, making cross-border surveillance important even as Kenya approaches the end of its monitoring period.

Laikipia Ebola facility remains tied up in court

Duale declined to discuss the future of the proposed Ebola isolation and quarantine facility at Laikipia Air Base in Nanyuki, saying the matter is before the courts.

The facility became controversial after plans emerged for a US-supported site intended to accommodate people exposed to Ebola during the regional outbreak.

The proposal prompted legal challenges, with the High Court issuing orders in May 2026 suspending further implementation pending determination of a petition. The Ministry of Health later confirmed that construction and site activities had been halted in compliance with the court orders.

“The matter is before court, so we will not answer that question,” Duale said.

The legal dispute means the facility's future remains unresolved. It is therefore important to distinguish the proposed project from an operational quarantine centre.

For now, Kenya's immediate priority is to complete the 42-day monitoring period without recording another infection. The government says surveillance will continue even as it seeks to restore confidence among international travellers and trading partners.