The Ministry of Health ordered the screening of all passengers from Kisumu for Ebola following the confirmation of Ebola cases in neighbouring Uganda.
In its statement, the government went on to cite the need to take precautionary measures as the key reason behind the new directive that would take effect immediately.
"Following the confirmation of Ebola cases in Uganda, the Ministry of Health has directed the Port Health Officers at the points of entry to subject all travellers from Kisumu International Airport to reverse screening," an excerpt of the official statement disclosed.
Once screened, all passengers will be handed an Ebola surveillance form which they will be expected to present to the health officers posted at the various points of entry after alighting.
"We wish to dully advice all individuals departing from Kisumu to Wilson and Mombasa that from June 16, 2019, they will receive from the Kisumu Check-In Desk a form called Ebola Virus Traveler Surveillance Form," a section of the statement divulged.
Some of the information the freshly deployed medical personnel were looking for was whether an individual coming into the country been to the Democratic Republic of Congo in the last 21 days.
They also questioned whether the individual undergoing the screening process had been taking care of a sick or infected person in the last 3 weeks.
Other tell-tale signs they have been ordered to be on the lookout for are fever, diarrhea, headache, muscle pain, bone pain, unusual body weakness, unusual bleeding, coughing as well as soreness or pain in the throat.
DR Congo may have struggled to manage the spread of disease, but when the dreaded announcement came that the virus had spread across the border, Uganda was swift to act.
4,700 health workers in 165 hospitals have been reportedly vaccinated as a counter-measure.
Market places near the border were also closed down, while religious gatherings were suspended altogether.
Kenya on its part is pro-actively seeking to stay a step ahead with holding rooms been set up at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) and all its other airports for any suspected cases awaiting possible transfer to the Ebola treatment unit at the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH).
