Kenya seeks review of Saudi travel restrictions over Ebola

Kenya has urged Saudi Arabia to reconsider its suspension of travel and issuance of visas to Kenyans.

In a diplomatic communication to the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kenya argued that the travel restrictions could disrupt pilgrimages, employment, education and trade between the two countries.

The Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs said Kenya had contained the outbreak, with all nine confirmed cases traced to a single cluster linked to an imported case reported on October 6, 2026.

“While Kenya acknowledges the right of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to implement health measures in accordance with its national laws to protect its citizens, the measures against Kenya are disproportionate and not supported by scientific health evidence,” the ministry stated.

The ministry cited the World Health Organization’s assessment that the outbreak had been contained, with the global health body advising against travel and trade restrictions.

“WHO has determined that Kenya has contained the outbreak professionally, diligently and transparently and advised against any travel or trade restrictions. WHO rates the risk outside the DRC and its neighbours as low,” the ministry stated.

Kenya also described Saudi Arabia’s decision to suspend visas and bar travellers who had been in Kenya within the previous 21 days as a blanket measure that goes beyond what the public health situation warrants.

The government has asked Saudi Arabia to provide the WHO with justification for the restrictions under Regulation 43 of the International Health Regulations (2005), which requires countries implementing measures that significantly interfere with international traffic to provide their public health rationale within 48 hours.

The government said it will raise the matter with the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), in collaboration with other affected African countries, warning that restrictions unsupported by scientific evidence could amount to discriminatory treatment of African countries.

Kenya said it remained ready to provide the Saudi Public Health Authority with a detailed technical briefing on the Ebola situation.

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