Kenya tightens JKIA Ebola controls, sets dedicated gate for travellers from 10 African countries

NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 7 — Kenya has tightened Ebola screening at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, designating a dedicated arrival gate for travellers from 10 African countries considered at higher risk of Ebola transmission.

Public Health and Professional Standards Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni said passengers arriving from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Angola, Central African Republic, Zambia and Tanzania will now be processed through Gate 16 at JKIA, where enhanced screening measures will be implemented.

Muthoni announced the measures after touring the airport on Wednesday to assess Kenya’s preparedness following the confirmation of the country’s first imported case of Bundibugyo Ebola.

Under the new protocols, passengers arriving in Kenya will be required to provide verified information on their health status and disclose any treatment or medication they have received during the previous month.

The requirement is intended to help health authorities identify travellers who may have been ill before arrival, following the case of the patient who died in Nairobi after travelling to Kenya and had reportedly been unwell and receiving medication.

Kenya has also introduced health declaration forms for passengers leaving the country, in addition to the forms already completed by incoming travellers. The new measure is intended to provide health authorities with a status record for people departing the country.

The government is also urging travellers and the public to reduce physical contact and revive precautions used during the COVID-19 pandemic, including avoiding unnecessary handshakes and hugs.

The heightened measures come as Kenya works to strengthen surveillance and prevent further transmission following the imported case, with health authorities stepping up screening at points of entry.

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has commended Kenya’s response and called for swift action to prevent further spread of the virus.

Kenya’s latest measures are part of a broader effort to strengthen early detection at the country’s main international gateway and ensure potentially exposed travellers are identified and managed before the virus can spread further.

​Bruhan Makong is a Senior News Reporter for Capital FM in Nairobi, covering diplomacy, foreign policy, national security, climate, and human rights across East Africa and the wider region.