Duale appoints KMPDU Deputy Secretary-General Dr Dennis Miskellah to National Ebola Taskforce

Duale appoints KMPDU Deputy Secretary-General Dr Dennis Miskellah to National Ebola Taskforce - Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union Deputy Secretary General Dennis Miskellah. (Photo: Handout)

Dr Miskellah’s appointment followed a request by KMPDU Secretary-General Dr Davji Atellah, who urged the Ministry of Health to include the union in the national team overseeing the response.

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has appointed Dr Dennis Miskellah, the Deputy Secretary-General of the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU), to the National Ebola Disease Taskforce.

The appointment, announced in a letter dated October 19, 2026, gives the doctors’ union a direct role in Kenya’s efforts to coordinate its response to the Ebola outbreak.

Dr Miskellah’s appointment followed a request by KMPDU Secretary-General Dr Davji Atellah, who urged the Ministry of Health to include the union in the national team overseeing the response.

In his letter to Duale, Dr Atellah said the union’s involvement would help bring medical expertise into the response, improve communication and protect healthcare workers on the front line.

“The purpose of this letter, therefore, is to formally request the inclusion of KMPDU representation in the National Ebola Taskforce,” Dr Atellah wrote.

The request followed a meeting of the union’s National Advisory Council on October 16, during which members agreed that KMPDU should take an active role in the national coordination efforts.

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According to Duale, the Ministry of Health established the taskforce to provide leadership and coordinate the country’s response after Kenya confirmed its first imported case of Ebola Disease, caused by the Bundibugyo virus, on October 6, 2026.

“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 stated in the appointment letter.

Dr Miskellah is expected to attend taskforce meetings and advise on preparations for and responses to the outbreak. He will also help improve coordination, communication and the mobilisation of the group he represents.

His duties will include supporting the implementation of decisions made by the taskforce, as well as carrying out other responsibilities assigned by its chairperson.

The taskforce is chaired by the Principal Secretary in the State Department for Public Health and Professional Standards, with the Chief Executive Officer of the Council of Governors serving as co-chair.

Duale has directed members to keep the taskforce’s discussions confidential. This includes information about patients, people who may have been exposed to the virus and budgets.

He also said all public communication about the response must be handled through authorised Ministry of Health channels.

The Ebola taskforce appointment is Dr Miskellah’s second appointment at State level within a month.

On October 9, 2026, National Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi appointed him to the Board of Trustees of the Local Authorities Provident Fund (LAPFUND) for a three-year term.

Dr Miskellah was also among 18 members appointed by President William Ruto in 2024 to a taskforce tasked with addressing human resource challenges in the health sector.