Over 350 Kenyan Workers Blocked from Entry Into Saudi Arabia Over Ebola

More than 350 Kenyans travelling to Saudi Arabia for work were denied entry despite holding work visas, amid concerns linked to Kenya’s Ebola outbreak. After spending four days stranded at Sharjah Airport in the United Arab Emirates, they returned to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on November 2. Mary Njau called the experience frustrating and urged government intervention, while the workers warned that the restrictions could derail their employment plans and cause their visas to expire. Nairobi has challenged the Saudi measures, saying the nine confirmed cases at the time were linked to a single cluster originating from an imported infection, with no community transmission.