Kenya discharges last Ebola patient, beginning countdown to Ebola-free
declaration
[November 11, 2026]
By EVELYNE MUSAMBI
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Kenya on Wednesday discharged its last Ebola
patient, officially beginning the 42-day countdown toward being declared
Ebola-free, even as the number of cases recorded in the wider region
topped 11,000 since the outbreak began in May.
The country recorded nine Ebola cases in October after the first patient
traveled from Congo through Uganda, transmitting the virus to four
family members and four healthcare workers.
The first patient and his mother died of Ebola, while the other seven
patients have fully recovered. The government had identified 135
contacts who had interacted with the first patient.
Kenya now begins the 42-day countdown to being declared Ebola-free,
provided no new infections are recorded during that period.
But while Kenya's cases have now been discharged, elsewhere in the
region the number of infections continues to climb. In Congo, the
epicenter of the outbreak, 11,042 people have been infected and 5,387
have died, the government said Wednesday.
The outbreak also spread to Uganda and Nigeria through individuals who
traveled from Congo.
Kenya's Health Minister Aden Duale on Wednesday said the 42-day waiting
period is twice the longest Ebola incubation period and would end on
Dec. 23, but insisted that the country would continue with its
prevention measures.
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 The Ministry of Health had earlier
expressed confidence that the outbreak was under control, noting
that all confirmed cases were linked to the first patient’s contact
list. This indicated that there had been no community transmission.
Kenya has faced travel restrictions following the
Ebola outbreak, with Saudi Arabia announcing an indefinite
suspension of visas on Oct. 30. The decision affected hundreds of
Kenyan workers traveling to the Gulf for employment, particularly as
domestic and hotel workers.
The Ministry of Health had urged Saudi Arabia to reconsider the
travel restrictions, explaining that Kenya’s first Ebola case was
imported and that all subsequent cases were traced to the initial
patient’s contact list. The ministry said all contacts had been
identified and traced in line with established outbreak-control
guidelines.
The current Ebola outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the
virus and has been described as one of the worst outbreaks on
record.
Kenya tightened its border controls designating a specific gate at
the country's main airport for passengers traveling from 10
countries that have reported Ebola cases or border those that have
active cases. Passengers are being screened using thermal technology
and all new arrivals fill a health declaration form that provides
their travel and health information.
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