Kenya discharges six Ebola patients as 18 days pass without a new case

Kenya's Ministry of Health reports one patient still under treatment from nine confirmed cases, while attacks on health care in neighbouring DR Congo complicate the regional Ebola response.

What happened

Kenya has discharged six patients who had contracted Ebola, and one patient remains under treatment, according to a Ministry of Health statement reported by Capital FM [4]. The ministry said the sixth patient, a male, had tested negative and met all the criteria for discharge [4]. In a statement marking Day 32 of the outbreak, Director-General for Health Dr Patrick Amoth said the total number of confirmed cases remained at nine, with all infections linked to a single known chain of transmission [4].

The outbreak was reported on October 6, 2026. Amoth said no new case had been recorded for 18 days, since 19 October 2026 [4]. Health authorities expressed confidence that containment measures are bringing the outbreak under control [4].

Why Kenyans are searching for it

The sources do not say why Ebola is being searched for in Kenya. The Kenyan report covers local case and recovery figures [4]. The other sources focus on attacks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where an Ebola outbreak is ongoing [2][3]. None of the sources links those events to the Kenyan cases, so this explainer does not assume a connection.

Key facts

• Confirmed cases in Kenya: nine, all linked to a single known chain of transmission [4].
• Recoveries: six patients discharged, one still under treatment and close monitoring [4].
• Days without a new case: 18, since 19 October 2026 [4].
• The reported figures do not fully add up. Six discharged plus one under treatment makes seven of nine cases, and the source does not explain the other two [4].
• In the DRC, at least 30 civilians were reportedly killed overnight in Beni Territory, North Kivu, according to local sources cited by OCHA [1].
• Africa CDC said attacks on health facilities had caused patients, including hundreds with confirmed or suspected Ebola infection, to flee in search of safety. It called for a corridor of peace and condemned the attack in Cantine-Aloya, which was reportedly carried out by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) [2].
• WHO Regional Director for Africa Professor Mohamed Janabi condemned armed violence in the Mabalako health zone in eastern DRC and said that health care should never be a target [3].

What to watch

• Whether the remaining patient is discharged and whether any new case is confirmed, since the ministry's count depends on this [4].
• Whether later updates explain the gap between the nine confirmed cases and the recovery figures [4].
• Whether insecurity in eastern DRC limits the Ebola response there, as Africa CDC and WHO warn [2][3].

Sources

1. [1] World News in Brief: Civilians killed in DR Congo, Ukrainians wrestle with return, Guterres calls out ‘normalisation’ of force - United Nations Sustainable Development - Welcome to the United Nations
2. [2] Africa CDC calls for humanitarian corridor in DRC following attack - KBC Digital
3. [3] WHO Africa Director Condemns Armed Violence In DR Congo, Mourns Victims - TVC News
4. [4] Six Ebola patients recover as Kenya records 18 days without new infection - Nairobi Tea

Compiled by the NairobiCity trend desk from the sources above.