Nairobi County steps up Ebola response as 923 health workers, 1,598 CHPs trained

Governor Johnson Sakaja said 923 health workers and 1,598 Community Health Promoters (CHPs) had undergone specialised training on early detection, identification and reporting of suspected Ebola cases across the city’s 17 sub-counties.

More than 60 laboratory officers have also been trained on the safe collection and handling of samples as the county strengthens its capacity to respond to potential cases.

Speaking during a briefing on the county’s Ebola response, Sakaja said Rapid Response Teams had been activated in all 17 sub-counties, with the County Emergency Operations Centre coordinating surveillance, case reporting, contact tracing and emergency interventions.

“Our message to Nairobi residents is clear: remain alert, remain calm and cooperate with our health teams. There is no need for panic, but we must all take the necessary precautions and report suspected cases early,” Sakaja said.

The heightened response follows the death of a 39-year-old Kenyan man who had lived in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for seven years before travelling to Kenya through Uganda on October 3, 2026.

The patient was admitted to a Nairobi hospital after arriving in the country, where samples collected from him tested positive for Ebola at the National Public Health Laboratory. He subsequently died.

The county has since begun tracing 28 contacts linked to the deceased patient, as well as 27 passengers who travelled on the same flight, in an effort to identify and monitor people who may have been exposed to the virus.

According to the county’s surveillance report, 22 suspected Ebola cases have been reported in Nairobi since May 16, 2026, across 11 of the city’s 17 sub-counties.

Sakaja said Mama Margaret Uhuru Kenyatta Hospital had been designated as Nairobi’s Ebola isolation facility, with the county working to strengthen its capacity to receive and manage suspected and confirmed cases.

Health facilities across the city have also been directed to reinforce infection prevention and control measures, including proper use of personal protective equipment, safe handling of patients and ambulance disinfection.

Simulation exercises have been conducted at Mbagathi Hospital and Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital (KUTRRH), in collaboration with the Kenya Red Cross, to test the readiness of emergency response teams.

“We have activated and strengthened our response measures across Nairobi. Our health teams are on the ground, surveillance has been intensified in all 17 sub-counties, and we are working closely with the national government and our partners to protect residents,” Sakaja said.

The county is also stepping up public awareness campaigns through Community Health Promoters, radio broadcasts, digital platforms and community engagement forums.

Residents have been urged to seek medical attention promptly if they develop symptoms associated with Ebola, including fever, severe headache, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhoea or unexplained bleeding, particularly after contact with a suspected patient or travel to an affected area.

The county has cautioned residents against direct contact with the blood or other body fluids of suspected Ebola patients and against handling the bodies of people suspected to have died from the disease.

Sakaja said cooperation from the public would be critical in containing the threat, particularly through early reporting and adherence to health guidelines.

“We are working as one team with the national government, health facilities and our partners. Our priority is to protect the people of Nairobi, strengthen early detection and ensure that anyone who may have been exposed receives the necessary follow-up and care,” he said.

Residents can report suspected cases or seek assistance through the Nairobi County Emergency Health Hotline, 1508, as surveillance and response operations remain heightened across the capital.