Duale gazettes Ebola as highly contagious disease under Public Health Act
Kenya's Health Cabinet Secretary has officially declared the Bundibugyo Ebola virus a formidable epidemic disease following the country's first imported case. The declaration enables the government to enforce strict public health measures, including quarantine and screening at entry points.
Why it matters
The formal legal declaration is a critical step in managing a potential public health crisis and preventing the spread of a highly contagious disease.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale in Nairobi on October 8, 2026/ FILE Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has formally declared Bundibugyo Ebola a highly contagious disease under the Public Health Act.
The declaration now paves the way for the government to enforce legal measures to prevent and control its spread.
The declaration, published in the Kenya Gazette on October 12, 2026, follows confirmation of Kenya’s first imported case of the disease in a Kenyan national who had been living in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
In Legal Notice No. 203, issued under Section 35 of the Public Health Act, Duale declared: “The Ebola (Bundibugyo Virus) Disease is hereby declared to be a formidable epidemic disease.”
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