Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs Korir Sing’Oei has issued a strong protest against Israel’s decision to impose travel restrictions on Kenyan nationals amid concerns over the Ebola virus outbreak in the region.

In a post shared on X, Sing’Oei described the move as “unfortunate,” highlighting Kenya’s proactive role in regional surveillance and response efforts.

According to Sing’Oei, Kenya has played an active role in regional Ebola monitoring and response initiatives, conducting thousands of tests without detecting any confirmed infections.

“Kenya strongly protests the decision by Israel to include the country amongst those whose travellers it will restrict,” the Foreign Affairs PS wrote.

“This is esp unfortunate given Kenya’s support to regional surveillance & response to Ebola. With over 80,000 tests, no case of Ebola has been reported in Kenya,” PS Sing’Oei added.

The restrictions stem from an official directive issued by Israel’s Population & Immigration Authority on June 10, 2026. The notice, addressed to all airlines, prohibits boarding foreign passengers from several countries on flights bound for Israel.

The countries include the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, Rwanda, Kenya, and Uganda. It also bars individuals who have visited any of these countries in the preceding 21 days, regardless of their citizenship or residency.

The directive also emphasized strict compliance to mitigate risks from the Ebola outbreak, exempting only Israeli citizens and residents.

“Airlines must question every foreign passenger prior to boarding, which includes verifying whether they have stayed in any of the restricted countries listed above during the past 21 days. If the answer is affirmative, they must not be permitted to board the flight to Israel,” the authority wrote.