Ebola Spreads to Eight Cases in Kenya as East Africa Outbreak Widens
Kenya has confirmed its eighth Ebola case as the deadly Bundibugyo-strain outbreak, which has killed more than 4,500 people in the DRC since May, continues to spread across the region.
Kenya confirmed its eighth Ebola case on 19 October 2026, a 49-year-old patient attendant who had cared for the country's index case — a Kenyan citizen living in the Democratic Republic of Congo who travelled to Nairobi via Uganda and died on 5 October. All eight Kenyan cases are linked to that first patient through family contacts or healthcare workers. The wider outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo strain for which no licensed vaccine or specific treatment exists, began in DRC's Ituri province in May 2026 and has recorded more than 9,400 cases and 4,500 deaths there. Uganda reported 20 cases and two deaths before being declared Ebola-free in August. In response to the escalating situation, DRC authorities imposed a one-week movement ban on people entering Ituri province and restricted vehicle capacity and public gatherings. Kenyan health authorities have placed all identified close contacts under quarantine and heightened national alert status. The WHO and regional health bodies are monitoring for signs of community transmission, which has not yet been confirmed in Kenya.
