KAMPALA / NAIROBI / ABUJA — Uganda finds itself under regional scrutiny after confirmed Ebola cases in Kenya and Nigeria were both linked to travel through the country, even as Kampala insists it has no active infections.
The latest developments come amid the ongoing Bundibugyo virus disease outbreak centred in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which has already recorded more than 9,500 confirmed cases and over 4,600 deaths since it was declared in May 2026 — the second-largest Ebola outbreak on record and the most geographically widespread in history.
Kenya has now confirmed nine cases, all belonging to a single cluster linked to its index patient — a Kenyan national who had been living in the DRC. He travelled by road through Uganda before flying into Nairobi on 3 October, tested positive on 5 October and died the same day. Subsequent infections involved four relatives and four healthcare workers or attendants who had contact with him. Kenyan health authorities say there is still no evidence of community transmission beyond this group, with 134 of 135 contacts traced and quarantined.CNN
Nigeria on 20 October confirmed its first Ebola case in more than a decade—a woman who arrived in Abuja after travelling from Uganda. She developed symptoms on 7 October, was admitted to a private hospital on 11 October, and tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain days later. Authorities have identified 44 contacts, mostly healthcare workers, and placed the patient in isolation. Ugandan officials say the woman had visited eastern DRC for business before transiting Uganda asymptomatically and only became ill after reaching Nigeria. Newsweek
Uganda earlier recorded 20 confirmed cases (mostly imported from the DRC) and two deaths before the World Health Organization declared its outbreak over on 27 August 2026 after 42 days without new infections. The Ministry of Health reiterated this week that the country has “no confirmed active Ebola cases” and urged the public to remain calm while strengthening screening at points of entry.Monitor
Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya described the situation as an “extremely serious threat,” noting that the outbreak has now reached three regions of the continent. Health authorities across East and West Africa continue to intensify surveillance, contact tracing, and border screening as the risk of further cross-border spread remains high.