Kenya starts 42-day countdown to Ebola-free status after final discharge

Kenya has discharged its last Ebola patient — the seventh person to recover from the virus — starting a 42-day countdown before the country can be declared Ebola-free. The announcement was made on Wednesday 11 November 2026 by Health Minister Aden Duale, who said all identified contacts have finished their monitoring period.

Key facts

• Last patient discharged: 11 November 2026; seven patients recovered in total
• No new confirmed cases in Kenya since 20 October 2026
• 42 days must pass before the outbreak can be declared over, under World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines
• 135 contacts completed 21 days in isolation
• Kenya's first-ever confirmed case was reported in early October 2026
• Arrivals from Ebola-affected areas face health declarations, screening and 21 days of quarantine

What has happened so far?

Kenya confirmed its first ever Ebola case in early October, when a Kenyan businessman died within days of arriving in Nairobi. He is reported to have contracted the virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), where an outbreak that began in May has killed more than 5,000 people. His mother also subsequently died.

All of Kenya's cases were linked to that traveller, who had passed through Uganda on his way home. Health officials reported no evidence of wider community transmission. Four of those who recovered after treatment were healthcare workers.

Five patients were discharged on 3 November, a sixth three days later, and the final patient was cleared on Wednesday. Duale said "all contacts have completed their follow-up monitoring".

When can Kenya be declared Ebola-free?

Under WHO guidelines, 42 days must pass after the last patient tests negative and is discharged — or after the last victim is safely buried — before an outbreak can be declared over. That countdown has now begun. The Ebola virus spreads through contact with infected bodily fluids such as blood or vomit, and its incubation period ranges from two to 21 days.

What rules apply to travellers?

The government will keep heightened surveillance at border crossings, airports, health facilities and communities throughout the countdown, with emergency response teams on alert nationwide. Health authorities will continue monitoring travellers arriving from affected countries.

Kenyans returning from Ebola-affected areas must complete electronic health declarations before travelling, undergo screening on arrival and spend 21 days in quarantine under the supervision of health teams.

Kenya says there is no need to restrict domestic travel, trade or public gatherings. However, international travel has been disrupted: some Gulf countries introduced restrictions affecting travellers from Kenya and other African countries, and Saudi Arabia stopped issuing visas to Kenyan nationals in late October.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has announced it is lifting its suspension on new visas for Ugandan nationals, a restriction introduced in June. Ugandans must spend at least 21 days outside Uganda before travelling to the UAE, while certain students, diplomatic passport holders and Ugandan embassy employees may enter under approved health procedures. Uganda, which shares a long and busy border with DR Congo, declared its own Ebola outbreak over on 27 August.

What this means for travellers

Anyone arriving in Kenya from an Ebola-affected country should expect screening, and Kenyan residents returning from those areas must complete an electronic health declaration before travel and quarantine for 21 days on arrival. Travellers from Kenya should check current visa rules with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states, since restrictions have been imposed since late October.

Duale urged countries that imposed travel and visa restrictions to reconsider them, adding that Kenya had no intention of serving as a quarantine centre for another country. In May, a Kenyan court suspended US plans to open an Ebola quarantine facility for American citizens. The outbreak in DR Congo is caused by the Bundibugyo species of Ebola, which is relatively rare and has no approved vaccine or treatment, though trials are under way.