Kenya is ramping up disease surveillance and border screening after 19 people died and 1,298 confirmed mpox cases were recorded since the outbreak was confirmed three months ago, the health ministry said on Monday. The immediate change is an intensified national response concentrated on high-risk counties and transport corridors where infections have been clustering.
The ministry identified seven counties as high risk because of their position along major transport routes and proximity to border crossings. Mombasa has the highest case load with 452 confirmed infections, followed by Nairobi with 320. The ministry also listed Busia, Makueni, Kiambu, Kilifi and Nakuru among the priority areas as the outbreak has spread to more than 40 counties across the country.
Officials warned that mpox still poses a threat despite containment efforts and called for stepped-up public-awareness campaigns, strengthened surveillance and intensified screening at county border crossings to detect new cases early. The ministry said it will maintain surveillance for other infectious diseases alongside the mpox response, signalling a broader push to shore up national detection and response capacity.
Although no confirmed Ebola cases have been recorded in Kenya, the ministry said measures are in place to respond to any suspected cases and to prevent cross-border importation. The statement repeated commitments to strengthen vaccination, public communication and coordination among health authorities while continuing efforts to contain mpox and prepare for other emerging health risks.
The immediate implications are concrete: counties on transport corridors must scale testing and screening operations, urban centres with the largest caseloads will face intensified community outreach and vaccination activity, and national health agencies will sustain heightened surveillance to limit further geographic spread. The ministry's next steps centre on implementation of these measures and continued monitoring of case trends across the country.
