Kenya: First Ebola disease case reported in the country. MSF’s reaction.
MSF supports preparedness efforts as Kenya strengthens response following first confirmed Ebola disease case.
Following the announcement by Kenya’s Ministry of Health (MoH) of the country’s first confirmed Ebola disease case and subsequent death in Nairobi, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in close coordination with the MoH and other agencies is following the situation closely. Since the beginning of this regional outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda, MSF has been actively supporting Kenya’s Ebola disease response preparedness in various locations.
In June 2026, MSF opened an Ebola simulation and training centre in Kajiado County, near Nairobi, to support the preparedness efforts among MSF staff in DRC, MoH personnel, local healthcare workers and partner organizations. The facility replicates an Ebola Treatment Centre and provides training on the safe use of personal protective equipment (PPE), infection prevention and control measures and emergency response procedures. A total of 355 professionals, including 84 Kenyan healthcare workers, have been trained at the centre.
In July, the Mombasa County Department of Health, with support from MSF, established an Ebola Training Centre at Port Reitz Sub-County hospital to strengthen preparedness for a potential outbreak. More recently, in Busia County along the Kenya–Uganda border, MSF teams have been supporting MoH with preparedness activities, including the isolation and management of suspected Ebola disease cases and the implementation of infection prevention and control measures.
MSF has extensive experience responding to Ebola outbreaks, including through our ongoing response in DRC, where more than 8,200 people have been infected and 4,000 have died. Beyond providing patient care, MSF teams support infection prevention and control measures and invest heavily in community engagement. A key lesson from this experience is that strong community engagement and trusted sources of information are essential to addressing fear and misinformation, building trust and enabling an effective public health response.
Our work in Kenya
MSF has been providing medical and humanitarian assistance in Kenya for almost 40 years. MSF has responded to disease outbreaks, health emergencies and barriers to healthcare access alongside groups in vulnerable situations such as refugees or equity-deserving communities. Working closely with health authorities and local communities, MSF delivers a wide range of services including emergency medical care, disease prevention and surveillance, water and sanitation support and essential healthcare services for communities in both urban and remote areas across the country. For more information, please visit: Kenya | MSF medical and humanitarian aid.
