Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has said President William Ruto was once advised against travelling to the Democratic Republic of Congo for an international conference due to strict public health quarantine requirements that would have kept him isolated for 21 days upon return.
Duale said the decision was made based on technical guidance from the Ministry of Health’s Director-General, who assessed the regional health risks and advised that the Head of State should not travel.
He noted that the recommendation was informed by existing disease control protocols, particularly those linked to Ebola preparedness measures in parts of Central and East Africa, where travel from high-risk zones can trigger mandatory monitoring or quarantine.
“The President was going to attend a conference in Congo. However, acting on technical advice from the Director-General, we advised him against travelling; otherwise, he would have been quarantined for 21 days upon his return,” Duale said.
The remarks were made in the context of Kenya’s broader public health preparedness strategy, which includes enhanced surveillance, border screening and coordination with regional health authorities in response to outbreaks.
Duale emphasised that such decisions are guided by scientific assessment rather than political considerations, especially when dealing with fast-spreading infectious diseases that require strict containment measures.
The comments come at a time when Kenya continues to strengthen its epidemic preparedness systems amid recurrent health alerts in the region, particularly in neighbouring countries experiencing periodic outbreaks.
While the disclosure has drawn political attention, government officials maintain that all travel advisories involving senior state officers are handled strictly through technical health assessments aimed at safeguarding both national and regional public health security.
