By Faith Anene
Kenya has discharged its last patient undergoing treatment for Ebola, marking a major milestone in efforts to contain the outbreak as the government begins a 42-day countdown towards declaring the country Ebola-free.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said the final 11 contacts who had been in quarantine had also completed their monitoring and were returning home on Wednesday.
This leaves Kenya with no patient under treatment and no contact in quarantine, 37 days after the country confirmed its first case of Bundibugyo Virus Disease on October 6, 2026.
“Today, the last patient under treatment for Ebola in Kenya has been discharged, healthy and free of the virus. In addition, the last 11 contacts in quarantine return home to their families today,” Duale said.
Speaking at Afya House in Nairobi, the CS said seven patients had recovered, while two others had died.
He attributed the containment of the outbreak to coordinated efforts involving national and county governments, public and private hospitals, health workers and international development partners.
Kenya’s first case was an imported infection involving a Kenyan national who travelled from the Democratic Republic of Congo through Uganda, fell ill and later died.
According to Duale, eight more people subsequently tested positive, including four family members of the first patient and four health workers who had attended to him before Ebola was suspected.
He said all nine confirmed cases had been identified while the affected individuals were already in quarantine, preventing further spread into the community.
The last case was confirmed on October 19, with no new infections reported since then.
Duale said the government had traced all 135 contacts linked to the outbreak, both within Kenya and abroad, and monitored those considered at risk.
The 42-day countdown begins on Thursday, November 12. If no new infections are reported, Kenya is expected to be declared Ebola-free on December 23.
However, Duale cautioned that discharging the last patient did not mean the response was over, saying surveillance and heightened vigilance would continue throughout the countdown period.
Rapid Response Teams will remain on alert in all counties, while health facilities and communities will maintain active surveillance. Screening at all points of entry will also continue.
The government will provide follow-up care and support to survivors.
Duale said the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo remained active, posing a risk of further infections being imported into Kenya.
He said the Ministry of Health would issue an advisory for Kenyans returning from affected areas, including health declarations before travel, screening upon arrival and 21 days of quarantine and follow-up by health teams.
The CS also appealed to countries that had imposed travel and visa restrictions on Kenya following the outbreak to review and lift the measures.
He argued that the country had contained the infections without community transmission.
“Transparency must be rewarded, not punished,” he said, adding that Kenya had no patient under treatment, no contacts in quarantine and no community transmission.
Duale maintained that Kenya remained open to business, tourism, trade and travel, with no restrictions on movement or public gatherings within the country.
He urged Kenyans to remain vigilant and seek medical attention early if they develop symptoms such as fever, weakness, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhoea or unexplained bleeding, particularly after travelling to affected areas.
Members of the public can call the toll-free number 719 for assistance.
The Ministry of Health will also conduct an internal review to identify successes and shortcomings in the response before undertaking a comprehensive assessment once the outbreak is officially declared over.
