Kenya Urges Against Ebola-Related Travel Restrictions

Kenya has defended the United States’ decision to advise its citizens to reconsider travel to the country amid a Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak that has recorded nine confirmed cases, including one death.The neighboring country has, however, urged countries to avoid unnecessary travel warnings.

Kenya’s Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary, Korir Sing’Oei, said Washington was acting within its responsibility to inform citizens about potential risks, adding that the advisory does not prevent Americans from travelling to Kenya.

“The issue around Ebola is a sensitive matter, and they need to advise its citizens,” Sing’Oei said in a radio interview on Wednesday. 

The US Department of State issued a Level 3 travel advisory on Monday, October 19, 2026, urging Americans to reconsider travel to Kenya because of health risks associated with the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak, alongside existing security concerns.

Sing’Oei said the classification should not be interpreted as a restriction on entry into Kenya.

“As you can see, Kenya has been put on Category 3, which is more of a caution, and there are no implications with respect to, you know, barring travellers coming from Kenya associated with that advisory,” he said. 

The advisory is a recommendation to travellers rather than a legal ban on entry into Kenya. Separately, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a Level 1 health notice, advising travellers to practise usual precautions. 

The State Department’s security warnings cite crime, kidnapping, terrorism, civil unrest and road safety concerns. They include restrictions on travel to specified areas of the country that are separate from the Ebola-related health concerns. 

In Nairobi, the US advises its citizens against travelling to Eastleigh and Kibera because of crime and kidnapping risks.

It also warns against travel to West Pokot County and parts of Turkana County because of crime. 

Other areas covered by its Do Not Travel warnings include Garissa, Wajir, Mandera, Lamu and Tana River counties, as well as Kilifi County and coastal areas north of Malindi, citing kidnapping and terrorism risks. The advisory also warns against travel within 50 kilometres of the Ethiopian border in Marsabit and Turkana counties because of unrest. 

By Wednesday, October 21, Kenya had recorded nine confirmed Ebola cases, including the initial patient who died on October 6. The cases are reportedly linked to a single transmission cluster originating from the first case. 

The initial patient was a 40-year-old Kenyan man who had lived in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for about seven years. 

He reportedly travelled from Beni in eastern DRC through Uganda before boarding a flight at Entebbe International Airport to Nairobi. 

He died less than three days after arriving at Nairobi Hospital. The subsequent confirmed cases include his contacts, among them family members and healthcare workers. 

The affected individuals are being managed in isolation, according to the information provided by health authorities.

The outbreak has also raised concerns about cross-border transmission after Nigeria confirmed a case involving a woman who had travelled to eastern DRC and reportedly transited through Uganda.

According to reports, the woman arrived in Nigeria on October 5 without showing symptoms and became unwell on October 7, when she was taken to hospital. 

Uganda’s Ministry of Health responded by clarifying that the use of the country as a transit route did not establish that infection had occurred there.

“The Ministry of Health has noted reports of a confirmed Ebola case in Nigeria involving a Nigerian woman who travelled to the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo for business. Travel through Uganda does not establish that infection occurred here. The location of exposure remains under investigation,” the ministry said.

The ministry also stated that Uganda had not recorded a confirmed Ebola case since June 16, 2026, citing the World Health Organisation.

It said the Nigerian patient had visited eastern DRC, where the ministry reported at least 9,500 cases since the outbreak was announced in May. The reported number of cases and deaths requires confirmation against the latest World Health Organisation outbreak figures. 

Other countries have introduced additional precautions for travellers linked to Kenya. The United Kingdom has warned that passengers arriving from Kenya may face enhanced health screening, while Canada has advised travellers arriving from the country to monitor themselves for symptoms for 21 days.

El Salvador has also introduced visa and entry restrictions affecting eight African countries, including Kenya and Uganda, as part of its measures against the Ebola risk. 

The developments come amid earlier controversy in Kenya over plans for an Ebola quarantine facility for US citizens. In June, an agreement between Kenya and the United States to establish a facility for American medical personnel potentially exposed to Ebola triggered protests in Nanyuki. 

Hundreds of demonstrators marched towards a military base where the Kenyan government had agreed to allow the facility. The protesters expressed fears that the arrangement could expose the country to the virus. The demonstrations reportedly left two people dead. 

The latest travel warnings have renewed attention to the risks of cross-border disease transmission and the balance governments must strike between protecting public health and avoiding measures that could disrupt travel and economic activity.