Duale urges leaders not to politicise Ebola preparedness

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale/ FILE

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has urged political leaders and the public not to politicise Kenya’s Ebola preparedness measures, saying the government’s priority is protecting lives rather than engaging in political debate.

Speaking in the National Assembly on Wednesday, Duale defended ongoing public health interventions, including the establishment of isolation and treatment facilities across the country, insisting that such measures are guided by science and the need to strengthen national preparedness against highly infectious diseases.

“Let us not politicise the health of our citizens,” he told MPs during the session.

Duale said concerns raised over the preparedness programme risk diverting attention from the real threat posed by cross-border movement within the region, particularly from countries currently experiencing Ebola outbreaks.

He cited scenarios involving travellers from neighbouring countries, noting that infection risks could emerge days after entry due to the virus’s incubation period.

“A Kenyan who is in DRC crosses today. The incubation period is three weeks. He comes and joins his family and the community. After two weeks, he’s found to be infected with Ebola. What is the damage that Kenyan can cause to the nation?” he said.

“So we are concerned about Americans coming, but we are not concerned about even the thousands of Kenyans every day.”

The CS said Kenya has already identified 23 isolation and treatment centres across the country as part of its emergency preparedness framework. He said the facilities are not specific to Ebola but are standard infrastructure used in managing outbreaks of highly infectious diseases.

Duale noted that the centres are deliberately located away from general health facilities to reduce transmission risks and ensure specialised care during emergencies.

“We have 23 centres, Laikipia included, and Kenya is one. Let us promote one Kenya, one health, and protect Kenyans regardless of where they come from,” he said.

He added that public health decisions must not be influenced by protests or political pressure, warning that preparedness cannot wait until an outbreak occurs.

“The health of our citizens cannot and will not be decided by three, four people, 10 people who will demonstrate outside the Ministry of Health tomorrow,” he said.

Duale further defended Kenya’s cooperation with international health partners, saying such collaborations have historically strengthened the country’s response to diseases including HIV, malaria and other outbreaks.

He said Kenya’s health system has benefited from enhanced laboratory capacity and research partnerships in Nairobi, Kisumu, Kericho and other regions.

Authorities have also designated four laboratories for Ebola testing, while the World Health Organization has supplied 1,000 personal protective equipment kits to support response efforts.

The government has identified 12 high-risk counties due to proximity to Uganda and key transit routes. So far, 22 suspected Ebola alerts across nine counties have tested negative, according to health officials.

The ministry says surveillance and emergency response systems will continue to be strengthened to prevent any cross-border transmission and ensure early detection of potential cases.