What Kenyans Travelling to the US Must Know About the New Ebola Declaration

Kenyans planning to fly to the United States from November 3 will need to complete an additional travel declaration before boarding, with airlines required to verify that passengers have not been in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) during the preceding 21 days.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued the order on October 22, making the declaration compulsory for international air passengers travelling to the United States from any foreign country, subject to government-approved exemptions. The requirement will apply from 11:59 pm Eastern Standard Time on November 3, 2026. Travellers will be able to submit the statement in digital or paper form, depending on the arrangements made by their airline.

Airlines will be responsible for checking declarations

Under the directive, airlines and other aircraft operators must ensure passengers have completed and signed the declaration before boarding. Passengers who fail to submit it will not be allowed to board unless they qualify for an exemption. Airlines must also preserve a copy of each completed declaration for at least 42 days after the flight arrives in the United States.

The CDC has encouraged airlines to incorporate the process into online check-in systems and other paperless procedures. This could allow travellers to complete the requirement before reaching the airport, depending on the arrangements adopted by individual carriers. The agency has also warned that knowingly providing false or misleading information could lead to criminal prosecution, fines or imprisonment.

What if a passenger has recently visited the DRC?

The declaration is not permission to travel to the United States after visiting an Ebola-affected area. Separate US restrictions already prohibit passengers who have been in the DRC during the previous 21 days from boarding commercial flights bound for the country. The restriction also applies to US citizens and nationals.

The CDC's rules define presence in the DRC broadly. They include travelling through a Congolese airport, even when a passenger remains aboard the aircraft or does not leave the airport. Overflights that do not land in the DRC are excluded from that definition.

The CDC calculates the waiting period using calendar days. A traveller's departure date is day zero, with the first full day outside the DRC counted as day one. The person may board a US-bound flight on day 22.

Separate restrictions also apply to certain foreign nationals who have recently been in Uganda or South Sudan, meaning travellers should check the rules relevant to their own circumstances rather than relying on the declaration alone.

Why the US is introducing the measure

The new requirement follows an Ebola outbreak involving the Bundibugyo virus strain, which has been reported in the DRC and has affected other countries in the region. Kenya confirmed its first imported case in October after a man travelled from the DRC through Uganda to Nairobi. The patient died, and further infections were identified among relatives and healthcare workers who had contact with him.

By October 20, Kenya had reported nine confirmed cases, including one death. International health authorities said the cases remained linked to the original patient, with no evidence of transmission beyond the known cluster at that point.