KNH conducts Ebola simulation exercise to test emergency response capacity
By Valerian Khakayi, June 24, 2026Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) has conducted a simulation exercise aimed at testing its preparedness and emergency response capacity in the event of a suspected Ebola outbreak.
In a statement shared on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, the hospital said that the exercise, which forms part of the ongoing Kenya Bundibugyo Ebola Virus Disease (BVD) simulation exercises, involved a simulated patient who had tested positive and was referred from Mbagathi Hospital to KNH’s Infectious Diseases Unit.
“The hospital has continued conducting the Kenya Bundibugyo Ebola Virus Disease (BVD) simulation exercises. Today’s exercise involved a simulated positive patient referred from Mbagathi Hospital and transported by ambulance to the Infectious Diseases Unit,” the hospital’s statement reads.
According to the hospital, the drill was designed to assess its ability to safely transport, receive and admit a suspected Ebola patient into its isolation facilities while adhering to established public health protocols.
“The exercise simulated the detection of a suspected case at Mbagathi Hospital and tested our capacity to safely transport, receive, and admit the patient into the isolation unit at KNH,” the hospital said in the statement.
The mock patient was transported by ambulance from Mbagathi Hospital to KNH, allowing health officials to evaluate coordination between healthcare facilities and emergency response teams.
The simulation was coordinated by the Kenya National Public Health Institute (KNPHI) and brought together officials from the World Health Organization (WHO), Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), E Plus Ambulances, as well as healthcare workers from KNH and Mbagathi Hospital.
“The exercise was coordinated by the Kenya National Public Health Institute (KNPHI) and involved officials from the World Health Organization, Africa CDC, E Plus Ambulances, and staff from KNH and Mbagathi Hospital,” the hospital added in the statement.
The exercise focused on several key aspects of outbreak preparedness, including case detection, patient transfer procedures, infection prevention and control measures, communication systems and the safe admission of patients into specialised isolation units.
Ebola in Kenya
The exercise comes weeks after the Ministry of Health raised concern over Kenya’s continued vulnerability to Ebola virus disease, urging heightened vigilance across the country.
According to Public Health and Professional Standards Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni, Kenya remains at high risk of importing the prevailing Bundibugyo Ebola virus, which is currently affecting parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda, where 141 deaths have been reported so far.
“As a department, as a ministry, and as people of Kenya, we must maintain absolute vigilance regarding Ebola virus disease and its strains,” Muthoni said.
“Kenya remains at high risk and on high alert for the Bundibugyo virus disease due to the extensive population mobility with the DRC and Uganda, which have reported 625 cases and 19 cases, respectively.”