Madar (Nairobi) - Kenya's Health Minister Aden Duale said on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, that the country's last Ebola patient had been discharged and that a 42-day countdown to being declared Ebola-free had begun, Africanews and The Associated Press reported.
The period, twice the longest Ebola incubation period, ends on December 23. Kenya will be declared Ebola-free only if no new infections occur in that window.
Kenya recorded nine cases in October. The first patient travelled from Congo through Uganda and infected four family members and four health workers. He and his mother died, while the other seven patients fully recovered, according to the same source.
Authorities identified 135 contacts of the first patient. The Ministry of Health believes all confirmed cases trace back to his contact list, indicating no community transmission.
Cases across the region have passed 11,000 since the outbreak began in May, with Congo's government reporting 11,042 infections and 5,387 deaths on Wednesday. The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo strain, has also reached Uganda and Nigeria.
Saudi Arabia suspended visas indefinitely on October 30, affecting hundreds of Kenyan workers, and Kenya's Ministry of Health urged it to reconsider. Kenya also routes passengers from 10 affected or bordering countries through one designated airport gate, with thermal screening and health declaration forms.
