Kenya’s Ministry of Health is facing calls to explain more openly how Ebola infections are spreading, with a pathologist urging officials to replace late-night statements with regular press briefings.
Dr Ahmed Kalebi said journalists and independent health experts should have opportunities to question officials about the outbreak, including how patients became infected and whether quarantine measures are preventing further transmission.
He said the ministry’s reliance on written updates had left important questions unanswered, despite the need for clear information as infections increase.
“These are legitimate public-health questions for MoH, not criticism for its own sake,” Kalebi said. “Greater openness and clarity on the transmission chain will strengthen public confidence in the outbreak response.”
Kenya has confirmed nine cases of Ebola Bundibugyo virus disease, including the first patient, who died on October 5.
The other eight patients have been linked to the initial case. However, questions remain about whether they contracted the virus directly from the first patient or through other infected people.
The ministry announced the subsequent cases mainly through written statements released in the evening. One update was delivered by the Director-General for Health during a television programme.
Kalebi said this approach differed from the more interactive communication used during the Covid-19 pandemic, when health officials regularly addressed journalists’ questions.
“MoH should also provide opportunities for the public via independent health professionals and journalists to seek clarification through regular interactive briefings rather than relying on late-evening press statements,” he said.
Questions remain over transmission
The ministry’s latest update said the ninth patient, a 24-year-old close family member of the first patient, tested positive on October 19 while in quarantine.
According to the ministry, he was isolated when he first showed symptoms and began treatment after his infection was confirmed.
Officials have maintained that all nine cases belong to a single cluster, with no evidence of transmission outside the group. They have also reported that the eight surviving patients were improving.
The ministry said 134 of the 135 identified contacts had been traced and placed in quarantine.
Kalebi welcomed the progress in contact tracing and the detection of infections among people already under monitoring. However, he said officials needed to provide more details about the circumstances surrounding each infection.
A single outbreak cluster can involve several stages of transmission, meaning patients may become infected through different people rather than directly from the first case.
Kalebi said the ninth patient’s diagnosis on October 19 was consistent with possible exposure before the first patient died on October 5, given Ebola’s incubation period of two to 21 days.
He called on the ministry to clarify when the patient entered quarantine, when he last came into contact with an infected person and when his symptoms began.
Such details, he said, would help establish the likely route of infection and assess whether existing control measures were working.
Calls for greater transparency
The pathologist also questioned how people identified as contacts were accommodated during quarantine and what evidence supported the ministry’s assurance that no infections had occurred within quarantine facilities.
He said understanding how the virus moved between patients was essential to assessing the effectiveness of quarantine arrangements and infection prevention measures.
“The progress in contact tracing, early detection and patient care deserves recognition,” Kalebi said. “But understanding who likely infected whom is equally important for assessing the effectiveness of quarantine and infection prevention measures.”
The ministry has said contacts from the first group placed in quarantine on October 6 who remain free of symptoms would complete their 21-day monitoring period and begin returning home from October 25.
As the response continues, the questions raised by Kalebi centre on the need for timely, accessible information alongside medical interventions. Regular briefings could allow officials to explain new developments, address uncertainties and respond directly to concerns about the outbreak.
