By Benadeta Mwaura - Reporter
Kenya, 23 December 2025 - As Kenya braces for year-end celebrations and increased travel, health authorities are urging the public to be vigilant, warning that the holiday season, while a time for joy and reunion, also brings with it heightened risks of disease, food poisoning, and other health hazards.
The Ministry of Health and public health experts say the conditions that come with crowded gatherings, extensive travel, and communal meals can create fertile ground for outbreaks and preventable illnesses.
Public Health and Professional Standards Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni has been one of the most vocal voices in the lead-up to Christmas, outlining a series of measures and precautionary advisories designed to protect families, travellers and communities.
She emphasised that hygiene and sanitation are frontline defenses against outbreaks that typically surge during festive periods, especially when people move between counties and attend large events.
“The festive season comes with heightened risks, and simple actions such as proper waste disposal, safe water use and personal hygiene can significantly reduce disease transmission,” Muthoni said, as the government rolled out campaigns to promote handwashing, clean environments and safe food handling ahead of peak social activity.
According to the Ministry’s advisories, close contact in crowded spaces, indoor gatherings with poor ventilation, shared meals and utensils, and increased travel to rural homes can all accelerate the spread of communicable diseases, from common respiratory infections to gastroenteritis and diarrhoeal illnesses.
Muthoni urged Kenyans to stay home when unwell, to fast-track medical care at early signs of sickness, and to prioritise hygiene in households and public venues.
Health officials are also targeting their messaging at families with young children, older adults and people with chronic illnesses, groups particularly susceptible to infections during mass gatherings and long holidays.
In markets and community meetings, health promoters have amplified warnings about food safety, advising people to avoid meat that has not been properly inspected and to ensure food is cooked and stored safely to lower the risk of food poisoning.
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Local health departments have also flagged recent reports of infectious conjunctivitis red eye disease in coastal counties such as Mombasa, where over 150 cases have been recorded in recent weeks, especially among school-aged children, a reminder that multiple outbreaks can coincide with holiday travel and school closures.
Beyond infectious diseases, authorities have reiterated routine precautions against road accidents and alcohol-related harm, stressing that the festive period often sees spikes in traffic injuries and risky behaviour linked to celebrations.
Judicial and transport safety agencies have launched joint crackdowns and public messaging campaigns to curb accidents, improve road behaviour and protect travellers.
While Kenya has made strides in public health, including being validated by the World Health Organisation (WHO) for eliminating sleeping sickness as a public health problem earlier in 2025, the festive season’s mix of travel, gatherings and uneven access to clean water and sanitation poses a persistent challenge for disease prevention.
Health warnings ahead of Christmas are not unique to Kenya; globally, health agencies have cautioned that travel and crowded holiday events can increase disease transmission.
For instance, U.S. authorities recently highlighted rising measles risks in travel settings, while other countries monitor mosquito-borne and vaccine-preventable diseases as year-end approaches.
In 2025, as families prepare food, travel to villages, sing carols and gather in homes from Nairobi to Mombasa and Kisumu, health experts’ message is consistent, responsible celebration, grounded in hygiene, early care-seeking and awareness of seasonal health risks, can protect individuals and communities alike.
Kenyans Urged to Be Wary of Risks Associated With Crowded Gatherings
Kenyans Urged to Be Wary of Risks Associated With Crowded Gatherings
