United States (US) President Donald Trump has said the U.S. government has contributed approximately Ksh48 billion ($375 million) to support efforts aimed at containing the Ebola outbreak in Africa, describing the American response as the largest international contribution to the crisis.

Speaking on Thursday, June 18, 2026, during a press briefing, Trump said the US had taken a leading role in helping African countries respond to the deadly disease, while criticising other nations for what he described as limited support.

“In our session yesterday afternoon on international partnerships, I offered an update on how the United States is leading the world in responding to the Ebola outbreak in Africa, sending $375 million in aid so far to help stop and contain the crisis at its source,” Trump said.

The U.S. president added that leaders from several African nations had expressed appreciation for Washington’s support during recent engagements.

“We’ve done great. A couple of presidents came over from African nations, and they were so happy with what we did,” Trump stated.

Trump further argued that the United States had shouldered most of the international response burden.

“We gave $375 million. The rest of the world gave essentially nothing, maybe a couple of bucks, but nothing,” he said.

The remarks come as East African countries, including Kenya, intensify preparedness measures amid concerns over the spread of Ebola in the region.

Quarantine facilities

For instance, the Ministry of Health (MoH) recently announced the establishment of 23 Ebola isolation and treatment centres across the country as part of efforts to strengthen emergency response capacity.

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale revealed the measures during a visit to Garissa County Referral Hospital, where a dedicated Ebola isolation facility has been established.

The centre includes a 20-bed treatment and quarantine unit for confirmed Ebola cases and a separate 10-bed facility for suspected infections.

According to MoH the specialised centres were developed through collaboration between the national and county governments to improve readiness for potential outbreaks and other public health emergencies.

The heightened vigilance follows reports of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), with a small number of cases also reported in neighbouring Uganda. Health experts have warned that the rare strain has no approved vaccine or treatment and can have a fatality rate of up to 50 per cent.

During his briefing, Trump acknowledged the seriousness of the disease but noted that Ebola does not spread as easily as COVID-19.

“Ebola is a terrible thing. That’s an unbelievable one. Fortunately, it’s not like COVID, where it’s that easy to spread around, but it’s rough, and we’ve done a good job,” he said.

Moreover, Trump said quarantine measures were implemented as part of the response effort, saying authorities had moved individuals to designated locations to prevent further transmission.

Meanwhile, Kenya’s Ebola preparedness strategy has generated legal and political debate. The Katiba Institute has challenged aspects of the government’s arrangements in court, arguing that the process lacked sufficient transparency.

A Kenyan court temporarily halted the opening of one facility and ordered the government to disclose details of the agreement under scrutiny. The matter is scheduled for a further hearing on June 23.

Despite the legal challenge, both the Kenyan and US governments have continued to defend their cooperation on Ebola preparedness, emphasising the importance of proactive measures to protect public health and prevent the spread of the disease across the region.