Do everything to keep Ebola outside Kenya

Kericho medics in protective gear over Ebola scare. Four patients are under isolation at the Kericho county hospital. [Courtesy]

There has been panic in the country over Ebola in the last few days, although the disease has yet to be detected locally.

In Laikipia County, there have been protests by hundreds of people following reports that the United States (US) government is setting up an Ebola quarantine and treatment centre at the Laikipia Air Base for its citizens exposed to the Ebola virus.

Elsewhere, reports that a patient with Ebola-like symptoms had been admitted to a Nairobi hospital caused panic in the city and beyond on Tuesday. Tests showed he had not contracted Ebola.

While there is no cause for panic yet, Kenyans have every reason to be concerned when the government appears to make a decision that has the possibility of undermining public health. Allowing the US to open a quarantine centre is a reckless decision, as a slight mistake could lead to an Ebola outbreak in Kenya. It would be wiser to open the facility in the DRC or Uganda, which already have Ebola cases.

Nonetheless, the current panic shows the public understands the seriousness of Ebola and the need to keep it at bay. Indeed, keeping the disease outside our borders is the best way to protect the population and should be our government's top priority. It's for the same reason that the Trump administration is determined to lock the virus out of the US. It is therefore commendable that the Kenyan government has stepped up surveillance at border points.

However, there is still a high likelihood that the virus will end up here due to Kenya's proximity to Uganda and the DRC, and the porosity of our borders. As such, Kenya needs to prepare adequately for a possible outbreak. And it is already doing that by setting up quarantine facilities and strengthening its emergency response capacity.

But there is something it is not doing well: Educating the citizens about Ebola and how to protect themselves. That aspect is important because in case of an outbreak, people will know how to protect themselves and thus reduce the spread of the disease.