Kenya confirms 9th Ebola case as contact tracing reaches 99.3%

Kenya has confirmed one more Ebola case, bringing the total to nine, with the new patient being a close family member of the first case, according to the Ministry of Health.

In a statement issued on October 20, 2026, Health Director General Patrick Amoth said the 24-year-old man was confirmed positive on October 19 after falling ill while in quarantine.

Amoth said the patient was isolated at the first sign of illness, tested and immediately started on treatment after confirmation.

“All nine cases belong to one cluster, and as of today there is no evidence of transmission outside this group,” Amoth said.

He added that all eight surviving patients were responding well to treatment and remained stable under close medical observation.

“Our patients are improving and responding well to treatment. All eight patients are receiving appropriate supportive care from our dedicated clinical teams,” he said.

The Ministry of Health said contact tracing had reached 134 of the 135 identified contacts, representing 99.3 per cent, as authorities continued efforts to contain the outbreak.

The government has also distributed protective equipment, diagnostic kits and other medical supplies to 12 very high-risk and 16 high-risk counties to strengthen surveillance and response efforts.

Amoth said Kenya had received 500 doses of medicines to support the treatment of confirmed cases, while a dedicated laboratory had been established at the Kenyatta National Hospital Infectious Disease Unit to handle routine tests for patients under Ebola care.

He maintained that there had been no spread of infection within quarantine facilities and that healthcare workers caring for patients were adequately protected.

The government has reiterated that Kenya remains open, with no restrictions on travel, trade or public gatherings.

Meanwhile, contacts who entered quarantine on October 6 and remain symptom-free are expected to begin returning home from October 25 after completing the mandatory 21-day monitoring period.

The Ministry has urged Kenyans to report suspected symptoms, including fever, unusual tiredness, muscle or joint pain, vomiting and diarrhoea, at the nearest health facility or through the toll-free number 719.

On October 6, Kenya confirmed its first case of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola in a Kenyan citizen who had lived in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for seven years.

The patient fell ill in the DRC, travelled by road to Kampala, Uganda, before flying to Nairobi aboard JamboJet flight 8523, arriving on October 3, 2026.

The patient died in Nairobi on the night of October 5 and was buried the following day under safe and dignified burial protocols.