Monday, June 15, 2026
- The Kenyan Government has lodged a formal protest against Israel’s move to
restrict travelers from Kenya over Ebola fears in neighboring countries.
In a statement issued on Monday, June 15th,
Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’oei described the decision as
regrettable and unjustified.
“Kenya strongly protests the decision by Israel to
include the country amongst those whose travellers it will restrict. This is
unfortunate given Kenya’s support to regional surveillance and response to
Ebola. With over 80,000 tests, no case of Ebola has been reported in Kenya,”
he said.
Israel’s Border Control Department had earlier directed
airlines to block passengers from Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan and the
Democratic Republic of Congo.
The directive cited Ebola concerns and ordered carriers to
prevent boarding by foreign nationals who had visited or resided in the listed
countries within 21 days of travel.
“Following the outbreak of the Ebola virus and in
accordance with the directives of the State of Israel, effective from the
receipt of this notice, it is prohibited to board foreign passengers who meet
the criteria specified below on flights bound for Israel,” the notice read.
Airlines were further instructed to question passengers
before departure to verify their travel history.
“Airlines must question every foreign passenger prior to
boarding… If the answer is affirmative, they must not be permitted to board the
flight to Israel,” the directive added.
The restrictions, however, do not apply to Israeli citizens
and residents.
Kenya maintains that the ban unfairly penalizes its
nationals despite the country’s active role in regional health surveillance and
its record of zero Ebola cases.
The Kenyan DAILY POST
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