Families could soon lose the right to bring home the body of a relative who dies of Ebola outside Kenya. Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale presented the proposed Public Health (Ebola Disease) Rules, 2026, to the National Assembly Committee on Delegated Legislation, The Eastleigh Voice reported. According to the Daily Nation, the rules are now before the House.
Part 21 (2) of the draft is blunt. "A person shall not transfer or repatriate the body of a person who has died of Ebola disease outside Kenya," the provision reads. Inside Kenya, a medical officer of health would have to organise the burial within 24 hours. The burial would take place at a site judged suitable on public health grounds.
Only trained staff in protective equipment would be allowed to handle bodies. Bodies would go into sealed, leak-resistant bags with identification references. Washing, embalming or dressing a body for a funeral would be banned. A sealed body could be opened only for an examination or specimen collection allowed by law. Medical officers would also have to decontaminate premises and equipment, dispose of contaminated waste safely and monitor staff exposed during handling or burial.
Duale told MPs that the rules aim to control the spread of Ebola while respecting rights and freedoms. He said the measures must be "proportionate to the public health risk." He added that relatives could still take part in burials if they follow health measures. Medical officers would have to consult the next of kin. They would also have to allow religious and cultural observances that do not conflict with disease control. According to The Eastleigh Voice, the World Health Organization's Safe and Dignified Burial guidelines also back family involvement and religious rites.
For unidentified or unclaimed bodies, medical officers would work with the relevant authorities. They would establish the person's identity, trace the next of kin and keep identification records before burial.
The Eastleigh Voice noted that traditional burial practices have been identified as one of the challenges in containing the disease in DR Congo, the centre of the outbreak. Scholars have linked infections to contact with bodies as relatives prepare them for burial, especially when they wash and rinse the dead.
Duale urged Parliament to approve the rules quickly, citing an urgent need to prevent and control Ebola transmission. The committee will now study the draft. It will then advise the National Assembly whether to approve the rules as presented or change them.