The Ministry of Health has called on partners and stakeholders to increase support for Kenya’s Ebola response, with authorities prioritising contact tracing, laboratory testing and expanded quarantine capacity to prevent further transmission.
Speaking during a stakeholders’ breakfast meeting on Monday, October 19, 2026, Principal Secretary for Public Health Mary Muthoni urged partners to make concrete commitments towards containing the outbreak, while emphasising the need for transparency, accurate reporting and better coordination among agencies involved in the response.
The latest figures presented during the meeting showed that eight samples had tested positive for Ebola out of 404 samples analysed as of October 18, while 396 returned negative results.
Dr Legat, who spoke during the briefing, said one of the eight confirmed cases was imported, while the other seven involved close contacts linked to the outbreak.
According to the doctor, three of the seven close-contact cases involved relatives of an affected person, while four were individuals working at Nairobi Hospital. The four hospital workers included three healthcare workers and one cleaner.
All seven patients linked to the close-contact infections are receiving treatment, with four admitted to Nairobi Hospital and three at Kenyatta National Hospital.
Health officials are also continuing to test people who may have come into contact with confirmed cases as part of efforts to establish the extent of possible transmission.
Dr Legat said 50 contacts had undergone testing. Of these, five had returned negative results, while results for 39 people were still pending at the time of the briefing.
The status of the remaining six contacts was not immediately clarified in the figures presented.
The Ministry of Health has urged county governments to strengthen their preparedness measures, improve public communication and ensure information is shared promptly to address misinformation and prevent unnecessary anxiety.
Muthoni stressed the importance of aligning partner support through established coordination structures to ensure resources reach the areas where they are most needed.
She also maintained that there was no cause for alarm, urging the public to rely on verified information from health authorities rather than unconfirmed reports circulating online.
The appeal for additional support comes as health authorities continue to coordinate the response with county governments, healthcare facilities and other partners.
