The US Department of State raised its travel advisory for Kenya from Level 2 to Level 3 on 20 October, urging American citizens to reconsider travel because of health, crime, kidnapping, terrorism, unrest and traffic safety risks.

The advisory specifically highlighted the ongoing Ebola situation, noting that the US CDC had already issued its own health warning and that medical services in Kenya are limited, especially in rural areas.

Travelers were cautioned against visiting Eastleigh, Kibera, Garissa, Wajir, Mandera, Lamu, Tana River, coastal zones north of Malindi, West Pokot and Western Turkana due to heightened crime and kidnapping threats.

Kenya’s Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Korir Sing’Oei, responded on 21 October, acknowledging the United States’ right to advise its citizens while stressing that the Level 3 rating does not constitute a travel ban.

Sing’Oei described Ebola as a “sensitive matter” that justifies caution, noting that Kenya and the United States have been cooperating on the issue for almost six months.

The Ministry of Health confirmed a ninth Ebola case on 20 October, a 24‑year‑old close contact of the index case who was already in quarantine when symptoms appeared; all cases remain within a single cluster with no evidence of wider transmission.

US officials warned that medical facilities often require upfront payment and may deny care without it, meaning travelers could face costly medical evacuation if serious illness occurs.