Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has appointed Dr Dennis Miskellah, Deputy Secretary General of the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU), to the National Ebola Disease Taskforce. The appointment brings frontline doctors directly into the team leading the country’s response to the outbreak.
In a letter dated October 19, 2026, the CS said the appointment recognised Dr Miskellah’s experience and the union’s role in safeguarding public health.
“In recognition of your experience and the important role of your organisation in protecting the health of Kenyans, I am pleased to appoint you as a Member of the National Ebola Disease Taskforce,” Duale wrote, adding that the appointment took effect on the date of the letter.
The appointment follows a request from the union to be represented on the taskforce. After a National Advisory Council meeting on October 16, 2026, KMPDU Secretary General Dr Davji Atellah wrote to the CS seeking a seat for the doctors’ union.
“The purpose of this letter, therefore, is to formally request the inclusion of KMPDU representation in the National Ebola Taskforce,” Atellah wrote.
The union said frontline health workers’ unions, which are mandated to protect the rights, safety and welfare of their members, should be part of preparedness and response efforts alongside the Ministry of Health, county governments and development partners. It also called for adequate protective equipment and safe working conditions for those treating patients.
As a taskforce member, Dr Miskellah will attend meetings, advise on preparedness and response, help coordinate communication and mobilise the health workers he represents, and support the implementation of the taskforce’s decisions. He will also carry out any other duties assigned by the chairperson.
The taskforce is chaired by the Principal Secretary for Public Health and Professional Standards, Mary Muthoni, and co-chaired by the Chief Executive Officer of the Council of Governors. It provides strategic leadership and coordinates the national response to the outbreak.
Duale directed that the taskforce’s deliberations, including information on contacts, patients and budgets, remain confidential. He said all public communication on the response must be channelled through authorised Ministry of Health channels.
The appointment comes as health workers face heightened risk. Three of Kenya’s eight confirmed Ebola cases are health workers who treated the country’s first patient at Nairobi Hospital. Kenya confirmed its first imported case of the Bundibugyo strain on October 6, 2026, and has since recorded eight cases and one death, while authorities have stepped up contact tracing, surveillance and containment.
This is Dr Miskellah’s second government appointment this month. On October 9, 2026, Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi appointed him to the Board of Trustees of the Local Authorities Provident Fund (LAPFUND) for three years. In 2024, he was one of 18 members of a taskforce set up by President William Ruto to address human resources challenges in the health sector.
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