Ebola cases rise in Kenya
Kenya has confirmed its eighth case of Ebola after a man tested positive for the virus, health authorities announced on Sunday. Director-General for Health Patrick Amoth announced the latest infection following a new round of testing.
“Today, 38 people were tested, and one tested positive. He is a 49-year-old man who is not a healthcare worker and developed fever, headache and muscle pain,” Dr. Amoth said.
Kenya recorded its first Ebola case in early October 2026, when a man who had traveled from DR Congo to Nairobi was diagnosed with the disease. The patient died at a hospital in the Kenyan capital on October 5. His infection prompted heightened surveillance and contact tracing amid concerns about further transmission.
The authorities have identified 28 contacts, including relatives and healthcare workers, and are tracing another 23 passengers and four crew members who were on the same flight as the patient.
The developments come as DR Congo struggles to contain a major Ebola epidemic. The African state is battling its 17th recorded Ebola outbreak, which was declared on May 15. It involves the Bundibugyo strain of the virus for which there are currently no approved vaccines or targeted treatments available.
According to a situation report by the country’s Health Ministry dated October 16, the outbreak has affected eight provinces, with North Ubangi becoming the latest to report infections. Two cases, including one death, were identified in the province’s Wapinda health zone.
The report put the nationwide toll at 9,415 confirmed infections and 4,536 deaths, representing a case fatality rate of 48.2%. A total of 66 health zones across the eight affected provinces have reported infections.
Earlier this month, Congolese Health Minister Roger Samuel Kamba said the outbreak had passed its peak, citing a decline in new infections and fewer areas reporting active transmission. However, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) cautioned that the epidemic was not yet under control, warning that insecurity in affected areas had disrupted surveillance.
The DR Congo’s mineral-rich east has been plagued by decades of violence, with dozens of armed groups, including M23, fighting Congolese government forces for power and control of resources such as gold and coltan. Clashes escalated in early 2025, leaving thousands dead and resulting in large-scale displacement, according to UN agencies. The rebels seized Goma, the capital of North Kivu, in late January and later captured Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu.
Ceasefire efforts have repeatedly faltered, including Qatar-facilitated talks in Doha. In February 2026, the parties agreed on arrangements for a ceasefire monitoring mechanism, a step welcomed by the African Union. Congolese authorities have long accused Rwanda of supporting the militants, allegations backed by a UN panel of experts. Kigali has denied the claims.
The accusations have strained Rwanda’s relations with Western partners, including Belgium. In March 2025, Kigali severed diplomatic ties with Brussels, accusing it of harboring “neo-colonial delusions” and interfering in the conflict. The two countries, however, restored diplomatic relations in September 2026.
In December 2025, Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame, ratified a US-brokered agreement committing Kigali to withdraw its forces from the border and end alleged support for M23, while Kinshasa pledged to curb militias hostile to Rwanda. US President Donald Trump has said the pact, which includes calls for a joint security mechanism, gives Washington rights to local mineral wealth. The fighting has continued despite Trump’s claims that he ended the decades-long conflict.
The Ebola outbreak had also affected neighboring Uganda, which declared itself free of the virus on July 28 after. According to Uganda’s Health Ministry, the outbreak resulted in 20 confirmed cases, including 15 imported infections and five locally transmitted ones. Two people died and 18 recovered.
