State sets out response measures following Ebola outbreak in Uganda

Ebola test, conceptual image. [AFP]

The Ministry of Health has confirmed that no case of Ebola virus has been detected within the country yet.

However, the government has directed all the county governments to be on the lookout by immediately activating and enhancing preparedness and response measures. 

In a statement released yesterday, Principal Secretary in the State Department of Public Health and Professional Standards, Mary Muthoni, said the government is committed to safeguarding the health and safety of all Kenyans. 

“The Ministry of Health continues to closely monitor the situation in collaboration with regional and international partners and will continue to provide timely updates as necessary," read the statement in part. 

All county governments and departments of health have been advised to undertake measures that include enhanced surveillance and screening at all points of entry, including airports, airstrips, seaports, land border crossings, and other transit points.

They should also activate and sensitise county rapid response teams (RRTs) for prompt investigation and containment of suspected cases and ensure county emergency operations centres and surveillance coordination mechanisms remain on high alert and fully operational, among other measures.

Ebola Virus Disease is a severe and often fatal viral illness transmitted through direct contact with either blood, secretions, organs, or other bodily fluids of an infected person.

The virus can also be transmitted through contaminated objects such as bedding, clothing, needles, and medical equipment.

Infected wild animals, including fruit bats and non-human primates, can also transmit the virus.

“Symptoms may appear suddenly and include high fever, severe weakness and fatigue, headache, muscle and joint pains, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain and unexplained bleeding or bruising,” PS Muthoni said in the statement.

According to the latest reports from the Africa CDC, a total of 246 suspected cases and 65 deaths have been reported, mainly in the Mongwalu and Rwampara Health Zones, while additional suspected cases have been identified in Bunia Town pending confirmation.

Laboratory investigations conducted by the Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale (INRB) in Kinshasa confirmed Ebola virus infection in 13 out of 20 tested samples, with at least four deaths occurring among laboratory-confirmed cases.

The Ministry further notes that the Republic of Uganda has confirmed an imported case of Ebola Bundibugyo Virus Disease involving a 59-year-old Congolese national who travelled from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to Kampala for medical care.

According to the Ugandan Ministry of Health, the patient was admitted to Kibuli Muslim Hospital on 11th May 2026 and later succumbed to the illness on 14th May 2026 while receiving treatment. Laboratory testing conducted at the Central Emergency Surveillance and Response Laboratory in Wandegeya confirmed Ebola Virus Disease.

Ugandan authorities have since activated national response mechanisms, intensified surveillance at both official and unofficial points of entry, deployed rapid response teams, strengthened isolation and laboratory capacity, and initiated contact tracing and quarantine measures for identified contacts.