Five male patients being treated for the Ebola Bundibugyo virus have recovered and are set to be discharged from hospital, the Ministry of Health has announced.
Director-General for Health Dr Patrick Amoth said the patients, two from Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) and three from The Nairobi Hospital, had completed treatment and remained symptom-free.
Laboratory tests also confirmed that they had cleared the virus. They were scheduled to be discharged on Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
Amoth described their recovery as a tribute to the skill and dedication of health workers involved in managing the outbreak.
The Ministry also announced that 46 contacts who had completed their monitoring period in good health had been released from quarantine and reunited with their families.
They join 20 other contacts who returned home on October 25, 2026.
The remaining 52 contacts are expected to leave quarantine by November 11 after completing the mandatory 21-day monitoring period since their last exposure.
Amoth said contacts who complete the monitoring period without developing symptoms cannot transmit the disease and pose no risk to others.
He added that patients and contacts are only cleared to return home after meeting strict public health requirements. They will also receive psychosocial support from a multidisciplinary team of health experts.
The Health Ministry urged families, employers and communities to welcome those discharged without discrimination.
“We ask families, employers, neighbours and communities to welcome them home warmly, treat them with respect, dignity and compassion and shun stigma,” Amoth said.
The total number of confirmed Ebola cases remains nine, including two deaths, representing a case fatality rate of 22.2 per cent.
The Ministry said no new case had been recorded since October 19, 2026.
All confirmed cases belong to a single cluster linked to the first imported case. The Ministry maintained that there was no evidence of community transmission.
Two patients, one at KNH and another at The Nairobi Hospital, are still receiving treatment. They will be discharged once they meet the established medical and public health criteria.
Amoth said the recovery of five patients and the release of more contacts were important milestones in the country’s response but cautioned that the outbreak was not yet over.
“Once our final patient has recovered or been laid to rest with full dignity and care, Kenya will begin a 42-day countdown, and the outbreak will be declared over only if no new case is recorded in that period. Until then, heightened surveillance continues without pause,” he said.
The Ministry also addressed recent travel measures announced by Saudi Arabia and Kuwait concerning travel into or out of the two countries.
Amoth said Kenya would continue to follow scientific evidence and the International Health Regulations (2005), which require health measures affecting international travel to be proportionate and evidence-based.
He said Kenya had shared outbreak data with the two countries through International Health Regulations channels and requested the public health justification for the measures.
The broader issue, he added, was being handled through established diplomatic channels.
The Ministry maintained that Kenya remained open for business, with no restrictions on travel, trade or public gatherings.
It also urged anyone experiencing symptoms suggestive of Ebola to seek medical attention immediately.
Amoth said early medical evaluation was critical to improving the chances of survival and preventing the virus from spreading to family members and the wider community.
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