Amnesty International Kenya has urged the Government to ensure its response to the country’s first imported case of Bundibugyo Ebola Virus Disease does not undermine human rights.
The rights organisation said public health measures must protect lives while respecting the dignity, privacy and freedoms of Kenyans and other people affected by the outbreak.
Amnesty made the call on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, following the Government’s confirmation of the first imported Ebola case and the death of the patient in Nairobi.
The confirmed case involved a Kenyan citizen living in the Democratic Republic of Congo who travelled through Uganda before arriving in Nairobi on October 3.
The Ministry of Health has since launched contact tracing, identifying 28 initial contacts while tracking 23 passengers and four crew members on the flight.
Amnesty said quarantine and other emergency measures were necessary but warned that they must remain lawful, necessary, proportionate, time-bound and non-discriminatory.
“Public health and human rights are not competing objectives,” the organisation said, arguing that a rights-respecting response would build public trust and encourage people to voluntarily report symptoms and seek medical care.
Protect privacy
Amnesty called on the Government to protect the personal information collected through contact tracing, warning against unauthorised disclosure of medical information, media leaks and publication of identifying details of suspected or confirmed patients.
It said passenger manifests and health data should not be repurposed for law enforcement, immigration or commercial purposes.
The organisation also urged authorities to ensure public communication focuses on epidemiological information, symptoms, exposure locations and available support rather than patients’ identities or medical histories.
“Fear of public exposure drives patients into hiding,” Amnesty warned.
Quarantine should not be punishment
Amnesty further cautioned against turning quarantine into a punitive measure, saying people placed under restrictions should receive adequate accommodation, food, clean water, sanitation, medical care and psychosocial support.
Those in quarantine should also be allowed to communicate with their families and access legal representation without being subjected to degrading or humiliating treatment.
The organisation urged authorities to base quarantine decisions on the level of infection risk rather than fear, with home quarantine prioritised where it is safe and appropriate.
It also called for Government support for people forced to remain at home, including food supplies, essential medicines, healthcare for unrelated conditions, childcare and livelihood assistance.
Children, health workers
Amnesty said children should never be placed in adult quarantine facilities and called for special measures to protect minors who are contacts or patients, as well as children whose caregivers are isolated.
The organisation also demanded stronger protection for healthcare and frontline workers, including adequate personal protective equipment, infection-prevention training, occupational health support, safe working hours and psychosocial care.
It warned that Ebola preparedness should not divert resources from essential services such as maternity care, HIV treatment and emergency medical services.
Warning against stigma
Amnesty also called for measures to prevent stigma and discrimination against Congolese nationals, refugees, migrants, traders and cross-border communities following the confirmation of an imported case.
“Ebola is a disease, not a nationality,” the organisation said.
It urged the Government to encourage people to seek medical assistance voluntarily rather than criminalising those who report symptoms.
The organisation said the public should be encouraged to use the toll-free 719 hotline while being assured that they would receive confidential and dignified treatment.
Media freedom
Amnesty further urged authorities to protect freedom of expression and media freedom during the outbreak.
It said journalists and members of the public should be allowed to scrutinise the Government’s response and question official measures, warning against using the outbreak to suppress legitimate criticism, peaceful assembly or political dissent.
Security agencies, it said, should only support public health operations and should not use the emergency as a justification for police brutality, arbitrary arrests or intimidation.
Amnesty also called for independent oversight of quarantine facilities, data handling and the use of resources by institutions including the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights and the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner.
Government urged to review restrictions
The rights organisation said all emergency measures should be regularly reviewed and lifted or scaled back once epidemiological evidence shows they are no longer necessary.
Amnesty International Kenya Executive Director George Morara said Kenya had an opportunity to demonstrate that controlling an epidemic did not require sacrificing human rights.
“Decisive public health action and human dignity are mutually reinforcing,” Morara said.
He added that no one should be left without protection from the response itself.
Amnesty called on the Government to place human rights at the centre of the Ebola response, protect patient confidentiality, ensure humane quarantine conditions, safeguard vulnerable groups and healthcare workers, combat stigma and maintain transparent public communication.
The organisation also urged the Government to publish all legal and operational frameworks governing contact tracing, quarantine, testing, border screening and data handling in languages understood by affected communities.
