KUCO demands nationwide Ebola preparedness audit after Kenya’s first imported case

NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 7— The Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO) has called for an immediate nationwide review of Kenya’s Ebola preparedness, warning that the country’s first imported Bundibugyo Ebola case has exposed questions over border surveillance, health-worker protection and staffing capacity.

The union wants the government to conduct and publish an assessment of Ebola preparedness across all 47 counties and major ports of entry, including staffing levels, personal protective equipment (PPE), isolation facilities, laboratory capacity and referral systems.

KUCO General Secretary and CEO George Gibore said the imported case should prompt an evidence-based assessment of whether existing preparedness measures can identify, isolate and safely manage suspected cases before they expose healthcare workers and the wider public.

The patient, a Kenyan who travelled from the Democratic Republic of Congo through Uganda, arrived in Nairobi on October 3 and later died while receiving treatment.

KUCO said the circumstances surrounding the case, including the patient’s cross-border travel, use of commercial air transport and passage through routine screening before hospital admission, raise questions about the effectiveness of surveillance and referral systems.

“Preparedness is not a press statement. Preparedness is staff, equipment, surveillance, protection and functioning health facilities,” Gibore said.

The union said frontline healthcare workers must have adequate PPE, training, infection-prevention systems, isolation facilities, staffing and clear referral protocols to safely respond to Ebola and other high-risk infectious diseases.

It also demanded a complete and consistent account from the Ministry of Health on the patient’s movements, screening, transportation, contacts and clinical management, arguing that accurate public communication is critical to maintaining confidence during an outbreak.

“Public confidence cannot be sustained through fragmented or unclear information,” KUCO said, warning that timely and accurate communication is itself a public-health intervention.

Staffing concerns

KUCO also linked Ebola preparedness to Kenya’s broader health workforce shortages, saying the country’s response capacity is being tested while Clinical Officers remain on industrial action in several counties.

The union cited ongoing disputes in Kakamega, Vihiga, Makueni, Nairobi and Baringo, among others, and urged county governments to resolve the grievances and restore full clinical services.

It argued that reduced clinical capacity during a heightened infectious-disease threat could undermine the country’s ability to maintain surveillance, emergency, outpatient, inpatient and isolation services.

“Kenya cannot prepare for Ebola while public health facilities are understaffed,” the union said.

KUCO called on President William Ruto, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, the Council of Governors and county governments to urgently resolve the labour disputes and recruit additional healthcare workers, including Clinical Officers.

The union further wants frontline health-worker representatives and their unions included in national and county Ebola preparedness teams.

It also called for strengthened surveillance at airports and land borders, adequate protection and monitoring of potentially exposed health workers, and regular public briefings on the outbreak response.

The demands come as Kenyan health authorities intensify contact tracing and monitoring following the country’s first imported Bundibugyo Ebola case.

KUCO said the confirmed case should not cause panic but should serve as a warning to address weaknesses before another infection goes undetected.

“The confirmed Ebola case should not create panic, but neither should it be treated casually,” the union said. “It should be the moment when Kenya honestly examines weaknesses in surveillance, staffing and emergency response systems and corrects them before another case goes undetected.”