The Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO) has raised serious concerns over Kenya’s preparedness to respond to Ebola following the confirmation of the country’s first imported case of Bundibugyo Ebola Virus Disease.
According to KUCO, the patient, a Kenyan who had travelled from the Democratic Republic of Congo through Uganda, arrived in Nairobi on October 3, 2026, and later died while receiving treatment.
The union says the case should trigger an immediate and transparent review of Kenya’s surveillance and emergency response systems, particularly at airports and land border points.
KUCO questioned the effectiveness of existing preparedness measures, noting that the patient travelled across borders, used commercial air transport and passed through routine screening before being admitted to hospital.
“The reported circumstances of this case…raise serious questions about the effectiveness, not merely the existence, of those preparedness measures,” the union said.
Concern over health worker safety
KUCO also expressed concern over the safety of frontline healthcare workers who may be exposed while managing suspected or confirmed Ebola cases.
The union said healthcare workers require adequate personal protective equipment (PPE), functional isolation facilities, appropriate training, effective infection-prevention systems, sufficient staffing and clear referral protocols.
KUCO has further called on the Ministry of Health to provide a complete and transparent account of the patient’s movements, screening, transportation, contacts and treatment.
The union warned that fragmented or unclear communication could undermine public confidence during the outbreak, arguing that accurate and timely information is itself a critical public-health intervention.
Clinical officers’ strike raises concern
The Ebola preparedness concerns come amid ongoing industrial action by Clinical Officers in several counties, including Kakamega, Vihiga, Makueni, Nairobi and Baringo.
KUCO said the unresolved labour disputes should no longer be viewed solely as an industrial-relations matter but also as a national health-security concern.
“At a time of heightened infectious-disease risk, Kenya cannot afford reduced clinical capacity in public hospitals, health centres and dispensaries,” the union said.
The union has urged county governments to resolve the disputes and facilitate the return of Clinical Officers to work.
KUCO’s demands
KUCO is calling on the national and county governments to urgently assess Ebola preparedness across all 47 counties and at major ports of entry.
The assessment should examine staffing levels, availability of PPE, isolation capacity, laboratory response and referral systems.
The union is also demanding enhanced surveillance at airports and land-border crossings, increased recruitment of healthcare workers, strengthened infection-prevention measures and greater protection and support for potentially exposed health workers.
It further wants national and county Ebola preparedness teams to include meaningful representation from frontline healthcare workers and their unions.
KUCO said Kenya should not panic over the confirmed case but warned against treating the development casually.
“The confirmed Ebola case should not create panic, but neither should it be treated casually,” the union said, urging authorities to use the situation to identify and address weaknesses in surveillance, staffing and emergency response systems.
The union’s General Secretary and CEO, George M. Gibore, said preparedness must go beyond official statements, stressing the need for adequate staffing, equipment, surveillance, protection of healthcare workers and functioning health facilities.
