Questions mount over Kenya's first Ebola case as Kalonzo demands transparency

CS Health Aden Duale briefs the media on of one confirmed case  Ebola Virus Disease at Afya House grounds, Nairobi. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

Wiper Patriotic Front (WPF) leader Kalonzo Musyoka has called for a full and transparent account of Kenya’s first Ebola case, including the traveller’s movements and the actions taken by health authorities after his arrival in the country.

In a statement issued Tuesday, October 6, Kalonzo demanded answers over why the Ebola patient, who died on Monday after arriving in Kenya from Uganda at the weekend, was allowed to pass through Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).

He questioned how the traveller was cleared despite ongoing health screening measures.

“It was doctors at Nairobi Hospital, not our border systems, who recognised the danger,” Kalonzo said.

The opposition leader called for an independent audit of airport and border screening systems to establish whether gaps allowed the traveller to pass through undetected.

Kalonzo said the individual travelled through Entebbe before arriving at JKIA on Saturday, October 3, where he was cleared and left the airport in a private vehicle. His condition was later identified at Nairobi Hospital.

He also raised concerns about the pace of contact tracing, noting that three days after the traveller’s arrival, authorities were still tracing 23 people who may have been exposed.

Kalonzo said the government’s account raised questions about how the case was handled, noting that the deceased had reportedly been ill for about a month and had received treatment in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

He also called for the immediate provision of adequate personal protective equipment and other safety measures for frontline health workers.

Kalonzo has now urged the public to remain calm, avoid stigmatising those affected and promptly report suspected Ebola cases to health authorities.