Duale: Kenya to conduct four-day Ebola preparedness drill from June 15

Kenya will conduct a four-day national Ebola preparedness drill from June 15 to 18 as part of efforts to test the country's ability to detect, coordinate and respond to a potential outbreak, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has announced.

The national tabletop exercise will bring together key health stakeholders to assess the effectiveness of coordination structures, referral mechanisms, laboratory systems and emergency response protocols in the event of an Ebola outbreak.

"A national tabletop exercise is scheduled for June 15 to 18, 2026, to test coordination, referral, laboratory and response systems," Duale said.

The exercise comes as the Ministry of Health continues to strengthen preparedness measures amid heightened regional surveillance for Ebola and other public health threats.

Duale told Parliament that Kenya has significantly expanded its response capacity, including establishing a pool of expert personnel who can be rapidly deployed to support outbreak management operations anywhere in the country.

According to the CS, the government has mapped a surge capacity of 241 expert responders comprising 51 alumni of the Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programme, 118 professionals from the African Volunteer Health Corps and 72 specialists trained in Basic Public Health Emergency Management.

"These teams are on standby for deployment to support surveillance, contact tracing, case investigation, laboratory diagnosis and field response," he said.

The specialists are expected to play a critical role in strengthening outbreak investigations, monitoring contacts, supporting laboratory testing and coordinating field operations should a suspected or confirmed Ebola case be detected.

Beyond the specialist teams, the ministry has also intensified training for frontline healthcare workers across both national and county health systems.

Duale said 1,069 healthcare workers have so far been sensitized on Ebola preparedness and response through structured virtual training sessions aimed at enhancing knowledge on case identification, infection prevention and control measures, patient management and reporting procedures.

The government has also rolled out practical preparedness activities in counties considered strategic because of their location and movement of people across borders.

In Busia County, which borders Uganda, 60 health workers have undergone on-site training and simulation drills designed to test response procedures and improve readiness in the event of an outbreak.

"On-site training and simulation drills have been undertaken in Busia, where 60 health workers have been trained, and additional exercises are ongoing or planned for Turkana and Trans Nzoia," he said.

The ministry has maintained that preparedness remains a key pillar of Kenya's public health strategy, particularly given the country's position as a regional transport and trade hub.