Larry Madowo Claims El Salvador Denied His Visa Over Ebola Cases in Kenya

CNN International Correspondent Larry Madowo has claimed that El Salvador denied his visa application after Kenya reported eight Ebola cases.

In an update on Tuesday, October 20, Madowo shared the reason for the visa denial, pointing to restrictions imposed by the Central American country.

"El Salvador denied my visa because Kenya reported 8 Ebola cases even though authorities in Nairobi maintain that there’s no widespread outbreak," he wrote.

Madowo further claimed that the restrictions extended beyond countries that had reported Ebola cases, affecting citizens from several East and Central African nations.

"El Salvador has banned citizens of DRC & random neighboring East & Central African countries - including many without any cases," he added.

A letter detailing the decision indicated that Madowo had applied for a special entry permit on October 14, 2026. 

The application was submitted through a digital platform and reviewed by El Salvador's immigration authorities.

The document cited a health directive issued by the country's Ministry of Health as the basis for rejecting the application. 

The directive, signed by Health Minister Francisco José Alabi Montoya, established entry restrictions for travellers arriving from or transiting through eight African countries.

"In that regard, it is pertinent to consider the provisions of Official Letter No. 2026-6000-055, signed by Dr. Francisco José Alabi Montoya, in his capacity as Honorary Minister of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of El Salvador, which establishes, with binding effect, that 'any person who comes from or has transited through the nations of Angola, Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda, will be declared inadmissible and will be denied entry to the country'," the letter read.

According to the letter, the immigration authorities determined that the restriction applied to Madowo because he is a Kenyan citizen. 

The decision was made under the country's Special Law on Migration and Foreigners, which empowers the Directorate General of Migration and Foreigners to authorise or deny the entry, transit and stay of foreign nationals.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health has confirmed one additional Ebola case in Kenya, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to nine, including the first patient who died from the disease.

In a statement, the Ministry said the latest case involves a 24-year-old man who is a close family member of the index case. 

It said the patient was already in quarantine when he developed symptoms and was immediately isolated, tested and placed on treatment following confirmation of the infection.

"The new case is a known contact of the index case and was already in quarantine when he fell ill. All nine cases belong to one cluster, and as today there is no evidence of transmission outside this group," the statement read.

The Ministry of Health confirmed that the ninth case was identified on October 19, 2026, and that the patient received prompt medical attention after developing symptoms.

"The ninth case, a 24-year-old man is also a close family member of the first case, was confirmed on 19th October. He was isolated at the first sign of illness, tested and started on treatment immediately upon confirmation of his positive test result," the statement added.

The Ministry said the eight surviving patients are responding well to treatment and remain under close medical supervision. 

It added that the patients have shown significant improvement and are currently stable.

"Our patients are improving and responding well to treatment. All eight (8) patients are receiving appropriate supportive care from our dedicated clinical teams. All the patients have improved markedly and are currently stable under strict observation and treatment," the statement further read.