Ebola: Kenya backed on visitor ban
What you need to know:
- Last week, Kenya suspended flights from Sierra Leone and Liberia and announced it will not admit nationals from Guinea and Sierra Leone.
- On Sunday, WHO, which had rated Kenya in category two of risk of transmission, said: “As most airlines stop flying to West Africa, it is becoming difficult to save lives as health workers are delayed.”
- “Kenya is only doing what is necessary. It is Kenya’s responsibility to protect its citizens. This is the only logical way of handling the matter,” said Mr Ochieng’ Adala, the former Permanent Representative to the UN in New York.
Kenya’s decision to lock out travellers from countries worst hit by the Ebola epidemic has won the support of some international relations experts.
This comes as the World Health Organisation (WHO) complained of inadequate means for its response teams to reach the affected countries.
At the weekend, Sierra Leone, one of the countries that has recorded a high number of Ebola deaths, announced it would “review relations” with Kenya and other African countries that are denying entry to its nationals.
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OUR FIRST PRIORITY
Last week, Kenya suspended flights from Sierra Leone and Liberia and announced it will not admit nationals from Guinea and Sierra Leone.
It joined a growing list of other African countries that have done so. They include Cote d’Ivoire, South Africa, Ghana and Nigeria.
“Our first priority is to protect the 42 million Kenyans who are here,” said Health Cabinet Secretary James Macharia.
On Sunday, WHO, which had rated Kenya in category two of risk of transmission, said: “As most airlines stop flying to West Africa, it is becoming difficult to save lives as health workers are delayed.”
But the experts who talked to the Nation Sunday supported Kenya’s stand, saying the government was only performing its duties.
“Kenya is only doing what is necessary. It is Kenya’s responsibility to protect its citizens. This is the only logical way of handling the matter,” said Mr Ochieng’ Adala, the former Permanent Representative to the UN in New York.
According to Mr Adala, Kenya, despite having cordial relations with many African nations, retains the right to determine when it is safe to engage with them. “I think that announcement (by Sierra Leone) could be an empty threat,” added the Executive Director of Africa Peace Forum.
Prof Macharia Munene, who teaches history and international relations at the United States International University — Africa, agreed.
“Nobody likes to be restricted and concerted efforts to deal with the epidemic are one thing that is needed. But each country has to look at its interests,” said Prof Munene.
He said if Sierra Leone retaliated, the impact of the action on Kenya would not be significant.
