Kenya has formally asked the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to review its decision to suspend travel to and arrivals from Kenya, arguing that the restrictions are disproportionate and unsupported by scientific evidence on the country's Ebola situation.
In a diplomatic communication dated October 30, 2026, the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs expressed concern over the decision announced by Saudi Arabia on October 30 to suspend travel to and arrivals from Kenya in response to the Ebola outbreak.
The ministry acknowledged Saudi Arabia's right to implement public health measures under its national laws to protect its citizens but maintained that the restrictions imposed on Kenya were excessive given the progress made in containing the outbreak.
Kenya told Saudi Arabia that the first Ebola case was reported on October 6, 2026, and that the outbreak had since been contained, with all nine confirmed cases linked to a single cluster associated with the imported index case.
The government said every secondary case had already been in quarantine when identified, maintaining that there was no evidence of community transmission.
The ministry further reported that the seven patients still receiving treatment were responding well to supportive care and were expected to be discharged on November 3, 2026.
It added that Kenya was preparing to release 46 additional contacts from quarantine on the same day, provided they maintained negative health status.
According to the diplomatic communication, all 135 contacts linked to the outbreak had been traced and monitored daily since the beginning of the response. The first group completed 21 days in quarantine and was discharged on October 26, while the remaining contacts were expected to be released on November 3 if they remained free of symptoms.
Kenya also cited the World Health Organization's assessment that the country had professionally, discreetly and transparently contained the outbreak, with the global health agency advising against travel or trade restrictions.
The WHO, according to the ministry, had assessed the risk outside the Democratic Republic of Congo and its neighbouring countries as low.
The government argued that Saudi Arabia's decision to suspend visas and bar anyone who had been in Kenya during the preceding 21 days went beyond what was justified by the available epidemiological evidence.
It warned that the restrictions would affect Kenyan pilgrims, workers in Saudi Arabia, students, trade and tourism, while penalising a country that had demonstrated transparency and notified the WHO within 24 hours of identifying the outbreak.
In its recommendations, Kenya called on Saudi authorities to immediately review and lift the measures.
The ministry also urged Saudi Arabia's National Focal Point to communicate the scientific justification for the restrictions to the WHO, as required under Regulation 43 of the International Health Regulations (2005).
Under the regulation, countries implementing measures that significantly interfere with international traffic are required to provide their public health rationale to the WHO within 48 hours and review the measures within three months.
Kenya further said it would work with affected countries across Africa to share its concerns with the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), citing the restrictions as an example of measures that could unfairly target African countries without sufficient scientific justification.
The government also offered to provide a detailed technical briefing to the Saudi Public Health Authority to clarify the country's Ebola response and the prevailing epidemiological situation.
The diplomatic communication was addressed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Riyadh on October 30, 2026, with Kenya reiterating its commitment to continued diplomatic engagement over the matter.
