Kenya blasts Israel’s Ebola-related travel restriction as unjustified

Kenya sharply criticized Israel after its Health Ministry briefly barred passengers from several African countries, including Kenya, from boarding flights to Ben Gurion Airport over fears of Ebola spread. Kenya’s foreign affairs secretary, Korir Sing'oei, called the move “unjustified” and said it did not reflect the country’s health situation.

Israel’s instruction covered travelers coming from Congo, South Sudan, Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya, and also anyone who had visited those countries in the 21 days before the flight. Airlines flying to Israel were told to enforce the rule at check-in by checking passengers’ recent travel history. Israeli citizens and permanent residents were exempt. Shortly after the directive was issued, it was canceled.

The Health Ministry said the step was preventive and part of broader preparedness measures, while urging people to avoid nonessential travel to areas with known active outbreaks. It also told passengers returning from the Democratic Republic of Congo or Uganda, especially from outbreak zones, to stay home and avoid contact with others if they develop fever or unusual symptoms within 21 days, and to call the ministry hotline 5400* immediately and say they were in an Ebola area.

Kenya’s foreign ministry said the Israeli decision ignored the facts on the ground. Sing'oei said Kenya has not recorded any confirmed Ebola case and maintains an extensive monitoring and testing system. He added that more than 80,000 tests have been carried out in the country without finding a single case of the disease.