Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has ruled out the issuance of Ebola-free and quarantine certificates for international travel, saying the documents have no basis under international health regulations.
Duale said Kenya would not issue certificates to travellers seeking to meet entry requirements imposed by other countries, despite some jurisdictions having introduced travel and visa restrictions following the country's Ebola outbreak.
“Kenya will not serve as a quarantine centre for any jurisdiction. Travellers from other countries will not be held in Kenya to meet another country's entry requirement,” he said.
“The Ministry of Health, under my leadership, will not issue any certificate of quarantine or Ebola-free certification for travel purposes. Such certificates have no basis in the international health regulations,” he added.
His remarks come as Kenya calls on countries that imposed travel restrictions to review and lift the measures, following the discharge of the last patient receiving treatment for Ebola and the release of the final 11 contacts from quarantine.
“Kenya has no patient under treatment, Kenya has no contact in quarantine and Kenya has no community transmission as of today,” Duale said.
He argued that international health regulations and public health principles offered no justification for restrictions on Kenyan travellers.
“Transparency must be rewarded and not punished. If honesty is penalised, the lesson others will learn is to stay silent and the whole world will be less safe,” he said.
Kenya confirmed its first case of Bundibugyo virus disease on October 6, triggering an outbreak response that saw eight subsequent infections, including four healthcare workers who had treated the initial patient.
Duale said seven patients had recovered while two died during the outbreak.
The country will now begin a 42-day countdown on Thursday, November 12, during which health authorities will maintain heightened surveillance before Kenya can be declared Ebola-free on December 23, provided no new cases are reported.
Despite ruling out travel certificates, the government plans to introduce additional screening and monitoring measures for Kenyans returning from Ebola-affected areas, particularly the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the outbreak remains active.
Duale said the Ministry of Health, working with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, would issue an advisory requiring returning travellers to complete a health declaration before travel, undergo screening on arrival and observe 21 days of quarantine with follow-up by health teams.
He urged Kenyans returning from affected areas to comply with the measures once the advisory is issued, adding that the country remained open for business, tourism, trade and travel, with no restrictions on movement or public gatherings.
