By GPC News Desk
The Ministry of Health has clarified that the suspension of meetings, seminars and conferences in hotels applies only to staff of the State Department for Public Health and Professional Standards.
The ministry dismissed concerns that the directive covers all government departments.
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The clarification comes amid heightened public concern following confirmation of Kenya’s first imported case of Bundibugyo virus disease, a form of Ebola, and questions raised online about the country’s preparedness to contain the virus.
In a public notice, the ministry said the measure was an internal administrative decision intended to free up technical officers to support emergency operations, including contact tracing and measures to prevent further transmission.
The directive, issued by Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni Muriuki, suspended hotel-based meetings, seminars and conferences involving the State Department’s directorates, divisions and programmes until further notice.
“Any exception shall require prior approval from this Office,” Muthoni said in the internal memo addressed to heads of directorates, divisions and programmes.
The ministry said the suspension was intended to prioritise emergency preparedness, contact tracing and response measures following confirmation of the imported case on October 6.
It also directed the department’s units to implement established standard operating procedures for the prevention, preparedness and management of Ebola and other highly contagious infectious diseases.
The clarification stressed that the measure did not amount to a blanket suspension of government meetings, conferences or seminars held in hotels.
Online debate
The announcement comes as Kenyans discuss the implications of the Ebola case on public safety, travel and the government’s ability to prevent further infections.
Health authorities had said the confirmed case was imported by a Kenyan national who had been living in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The patient travelled through Uganda before arriving in Nairobi, where he was diagnosed and later died.
Discussions online include concerns about whether the case could trigger wider restrictions reminiscent of the Covid-19 pandemic, with one contributor expressing anxiety about possible changes to work, public transport and everyday activities.
Others urged calm, arguing that the public should follow scientific guidance rather than panic.
A suspected second case in Wajir was subsequently reported to have tested negative, according to Reuters.
Some online contributors also raised questions about how the patient had passed through travel screening before the infection was confirmed in Nairobi.
The ministry’s clarification follows earlier reporting that the directive covered government meetings in hotels more broadly, prompting the need to specify which department was affected.
