Israel has reversed its decision to include Kenya on a list of countries subject to Ebola-related entry restrictions, drawing a warm response from Nairobi after a brief diplomatic row between the two nations. Citizen Digital reports
Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Korir Sing’Oei, welcomed the move in a post on X. “We welcome very much the decision of Israel to vacate the ` of Kenya from the list of countries subject to Ebola-related restrictions,” Sing’Oei wrote. “We are grateful for your sensitivity, friendship and partnership.”
The restrictions were introduced through a directive dated June 10, 2026, issued by the Population and Immigration Authority of the State of Israel through the Border Control office at Ben Gurion International Airport.
The directive instructed all airlines to restrict the boarding of certain passengers on flights bound for Israel, citing an outbreak of the Ebola virus. Under the directive, foreign citizens and residents of five African countries — the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, Rwanda, Kenya, and Uganda — were prohibited from boarding flights to Israel.
The restrictions also extended to any foreign national, regardless of nationality, who had visited or stayed in any of the listed countries within 21 days prior to their flight.
Airlines were required to question every foreign passenger before boarding to verify their recent travel history, and to deny boarding to anyone who had been in the affected countries during that period. Israeli citizens and residents were exempted from the directive.
Shortly after the restrictions were announced, Kenya pushed back firmly against its inclusion on the list. PS Sing’Oei issued a sharp protest on X, describing the move as “especially unfortunate” given Kenya’s active role in regional public health efforts.
“Kenya strongly protests the decision by Israel to include the country amongst those whose travellers it will restrict,” Sing’Oei wrote at the time. “This is especially unfortunate given Kenya’s support to regional surveillance and response to Ebola. With over 80,000 tests, no case of Ebola has been reported in Kenya.” Israel’s decision to remove Kenya from the restricted list comes as a diplomatic win for Nairobi, which had argued that the inclusion was both unjustified and inconsistent with the country’s clean Ebola record.
The reversal is expected to ease travel between the two nations and restore normalcy for Kenyan travellers, businesspeople, students, and pilgrims who frequently move between the two countries.
