UN allocates Ksh.259.8 million to boost Ebola preparedness in Kenya

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), through the Kenya Humanitarian Fund, will manage the allocation to support government-led efforts to detect potential cases and prevent the spread of the disease.

According to OCHA, the funds will also support preparedness along high-risk refugee and travel routes linked to the Kakuma refugee complex in northwestern Kenya.

Other interventions will include emergency health supplies and infection prevention kits, as well as public information campaigns on Ebola prevention and early detection.

As of October 20, nine confirmed Ebola cases, including two deaths, had been reported in Kenya. According to OCHA, all the cases were linked to an earlier case reported in October.

The agency noted that there was no evidence of community transmission at the time. However, contact tracing had identified 134 additional people who may have been exposed to the virus and had been placed under quarantine.

OCHA announced the funding on October 27, 2026, as Kenya continues to strengthen its preparedness and response measures.

Ebola is a severe disease transmitted through direct contact with the blood or bodily fluids of an infected person or someone who has died from the disease.

Early detection, contact tracing, and infection prevention measures are important in limiting its spread.

Kenya's preparedness efforts also take into account cross-border movement and travel links with neighbouring countries, which make surveillance and early detection important in preventing the spread of infectious diseases.