On 7 October, public health officers presented four specific demands to the Ministry of Health, citing growing concerns over Kenya’s readiness to contain its first confirmed Ebola case.

The officers called for the ministry to engage public health officers nationwide, end ongoing strikes and ensure they are fully integrated into the national Ebola response.

They also urged a whole‑system approach that defines roles for public health officers, laboratory staff, clinicians, nutritionists and other health workers in managing Ebola and future epidemics.

A demand was made to broaden Ebola preparedness training beyond senior officials, noting that roughly 4,791 health workers have been trained but the programme largely targets executives rather than front‑line responders.

The officers further requested specialised training for public health officers and laboratory personnel on Ebola surveillance, detection and response to enable swift action at the front line.

Concerns were raised about inadequate personal protective equipment, with some public health workers reportedly exposed to potentially fatal diseases while on duty.

The demands come as the Ministry intensifies contact tracing, having identified 57 contacts and placed 10 individuals in quarantine facilities as of Wednesday morning.

Officers also highlighted gaps in border screening after the suspected Ebola patient travelled from the Democratic Republic of Congo through Uganda before entering Kenya, questioning compliance with international health regulations.

They warned that weakened public health systems could lead to a scenario similar to the COVID‑19 pandemic, which also began with an imported case.