Duale says Kenya will rely on screening, contact tracing to fight Ebola, rules out border closures
By Martin Oduor, June 3, 2026Kenya’s borders will remain fully open despite the terrifying outbreak of a deadly new strain of Ebola in the region, the government has sensationally confirmed.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has completely rejected calls for drastic lockdowns and border closures, opting instead for a highly strategic medical surveillance system to insulate the country from the biological threat.
Appearing on a TV interview on Wednesday night, June 3, 2026, Duale laid out the state’s defence plan while aggressively fighting back against what he termed a wave of public hysteria and political propaganda surrounding the crisis.
With public anxiety mounting over the cross-border movement of people from the virus-hit Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), demands have grown for Kenya to seal its entry points.
However, the Health Minister flatly dismissed an isolationist approach, arguing that closing borders is an outdated tactic that would severely disrupt regional economies without effectively stopping the virus.
“We are not going to close our borders; we’ll screen and do contact tracing instead,” Duale declared, outlining a scientific protocol aimed at identifying, isolating, and tracing any potential exposure at ports of entry before it can spill into the community.
The broadcast took a combative turn when Koinange pressed the CS on the highly controversial, US-funded Ebola quarantine facility currently being erected under heavy security inside the Laikipia Air Base.
The military-base installation has drawn fierce condemnation from diplomatic and medical pundits who accuse the state of secretly transforming Kenya into a biological dumping ground for foreign powers.
Duale fiercely defended the specialised unit, aggressively claiming that critics are weaponising public health fears to score cheap political points and panic the masses.
“As the Minister for Health, I have a moral duty to ensure our citizens are safe and protected from misinformation,” Duale stated emphatically, taking a direct swipe at those questioning the state’s transparency.
By doubling down on border screening and contact tracing while simultaneously defending the American-backed containment infrastructure in Laikipia, Duale is trying to project absolute control over an escalating situation.
Whether the government’s refusal to shut down borders will pay off or backfire spectacularly remains to be seen, but for now, the Health Minister has made it explicitly clear: Kenya’s doors stay open, and the state will manage the risk on its own terms.