A significant regional outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) has prompted declarations of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) by the World Health Organization (WHO) and a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). While neighboring countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda battle rising cases, Kenya has confirmed that it has not reported any confirmed cases as of May 21, 2026.

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale provided an update from Afya House on May 22, 2026, confirming that tests on three individuals with recent travel history to the DRC and four of their contacts suspected of contracting Ebola have all turned out negative. Despite Kenya remaining free of the virus, CS Duale emphasized that the country faces an elevated risk of importation due to its close regional connectivity through trade, transport, and population movement. In response, the Kenyan government has significantly intensified its national preparedness and response measures.

The outbreak in the DRC, particularly in the northeastern Ituri province, is described as deeply worrisome, with experts suspecting the virus circulated silently for some time. The WHO has raised the risk assessment level for the DRC from high to very high, noting 82 confirmed cases and seven confirmed deaths, alongside almost 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated the epidemic in DRC is much larger than confirmed cases, highlighting the immense challenge health workers face in tracking contacts in insecure areas. In Uganda, the situation is considered stable with two confirmed cases linked to DRC travel and one death, attributing success to intense contact tracing. Internationally, a US national working in DRC tested positive and was transferred to Germany for care, while another high-risk US contact was transferred to the Czech Republic.

Kenya's robust multi-sectoral preparedness and response framework, activated through the Kenya National Public Health Institute (KNPHI) and the Ministry of Health, includes several key initiatives. The Incident Management System (IMS) has been activated to coordinate national activities with counties and partners, alongside the establishment of Public Health Emergency Operations Centres at both national and county levels. Rapid response teams are on standby for immediate deployment, and coordination efforts are ongoing with counties, WHO, Africa CDC, and regional partners.

Intensified screening and surveillance measures are in place at all Points of Entry, including airports and land border crossings, with a cumulative 42,447 travelers screened by May 21, 2026. Kenya is implementing enhanced risk-based screening, traveler assessment, monitoring, and rapid response, in line with International Health Regulations and WHO guidance, avoiding blanket quarantines. Four national laboratories—the National Public Health Laboratory, a mobile laboratory platform, and Kenya Medical Research Institute branches in Nairobi and Kisumu—have been designated for Ebola testing.

Furthermore, 22 counties have been flagged as high-risk, and 118 rapid response personnel are on standby. Over 880 national and county healthcare workers have been sensitized on Ebola preparedness and response, with continuous sessions ongoing. Isolation and treatment facilities across the country have been identified and equipped with personal protective equipment and essential response supplies.

A critical challenge in containing the Bundibugyo strain is the absence of approved vaccines or treatments. The WHO is prioritizing existing tools, recommending clinical trials for two monoclonal antibodies, Regeneron 3479 and Mapp Biopharmaceutical's MBP134, and the oral antiviral obeldesivir as post-exposure prophylaxis for high-risk contacts. Existing vaccines, such as Ervebo, are effective against the Zaire strain but show little cross-protection for Bundibugyo. A Bundibugyo-specific vaccine is still in development, with no doses available for immediate clinical trials, and a candidate vaccine leveraging the ChAdOx platform lacks animal testing data to proceed to human trials.

CS Duale urged Kenyans to remain calm but vigilant, advising anyone exhibiting symptoms such as fever, severe weakness or fatigue, headache and muscle pain, vomiting or diarrhea, stomach pain, or unexplained bleeding or bruising—especially those with recent travel history to Uganda and DRC—to visit the nearest healthcare center. The public is also advised to maintain high standards of personal hygiene, avoid contact with bodily fluids of sick persons, avoid handling sick or dead animals, and rely solely on official information from the Ministry of Health, KNPHI, WHO, and Africa CDC.