The United Kingdom has ruled out plans to impose travel restrictions on Kenya over the imported case of Bundibugyo Ebola virus disease, offering reassurance to the tourism industry amid concerns that the outbreak could hurt visitor confidence.
British High Commissioner Matt Baugh said Kenya had demonstrated strong preparedness through isolation facilities, contact tracing and measures to manage suspected cases.
Speaking during a reception celebrating UK-Kenya relations at Tononoka Social Hall in Mombasa, Mr Baugh said Britain would continue monitoring the situation and updating its travel advice as necessary.
“At the moment Kenya has demonstrated a really strong isolation and contact tracing scheme. It has the facilities in place as well to be able to treat and isolate patients,” he said.
The envoy, who was making his first visit to the coastal tourism hub since his appointment, said Britain was not planning to introduce additional travel restrictions against Kenya.
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“I hope not. We are not planning on making any changes other than keeping our travel advice updated as you would expect,” he added.
Kenya confirmed its first imported case of Bundibugyo Ebola virus disease on October 6. The patient, who travelled from the Democratic Republic of Congo through Uganda to Nairobi, later died and was buried under public health protocols.
The government has intensified surveillance and contact tracing to prevent further transmission, urging Kenyans to follow official health guidance and avoid spreading unverified information.
The UK assurance comes as the tourism industry monitors the potential impact of the case on international bookings and travel advisories.
Tourism analyst Mohammed Hersi said tour operators had not recorded cancellations linked to the case but warned that the situation could change if major source markets issued more restrictive advisories.
“We have not gotten any cancellations. It all depends on the travel advisories, specifically from the UK, US and the UAE,” said Mr Hersi, director of Pollman’s Tours and Safaris.
He said more severe travel warnings could undermine visitor confidence and trigger cancellations.
“If we are taken to Level Three or Four, which means ‘do not travel’, then we are bound to get cancellations,” he said.
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The industry has already been affected by precautionary measures taken by international travel operators. MSC Cruises temporarily suspended the embarkation of Kenyan crew members until October 31, citing public health developments in the country.
The move has raised concerns about the impact of Ebola-related fears on cruise tourism and the livelihoods of Kenyans employed aboard international vessels.
Kenya is targeting at least 5.5 million international tourist arrivals annually by 2028. Tourism Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano said the country received 2.7 million international visitors in 2025, generating Sh500 billion in earnings.
Domestic travel accounted for 5.2 million travellers. The industry is now hoping that continued surveillance and clear public communication will contain the health risk without prompting travel restrictions that could disrupt bookings and employment.
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