Mwenendo
African Current Affairs
Politics, governance, security and public life that shape African livelihoods and business.
Ebola Jumps to Seven Cases in Kenya: Three Health Workers Infected After Treating First Patient
Kenya has confirmed four new Bundibugyo Ebola cases, taking the national total to seven, including the first patient who died after arriving from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Three of the new patients are health workers aged 29, 35 and 32 who attended the first patient on 3 and 4 October and have been in quarantine since 9 October. All four patients were already in quarantine when they tested positive, which authorities say limited exposure; the public risk is assessed as low with no evidence of community transmission.
Payroll Probe: Ruku Sidelines 84 HR Officers Over Suspected KSh 6.2B Fraud
Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku ordered 84 human resource officers to step aside for 30 working days while detectives investigate suspected payroll fraud estimated at KSh 6.2B ($47.73M). The officers work in the Kenya Prisons Service, the police service and two Ministry of Health departments, and have lost access to the government payroll system. Replacement HR managers will keep salaries flowing, and the findings remain allegations because no charges have been filed, though arrests could come before the 30 days end.
Board Seat: Ruto Signs Law Adding Kenya Ports Authority Chief to KRA Board
President William Ruto signed the Kenya Revenue Authority (Amendment) Act, 2026 at Eldoret State Lodge on 16 October, giving the Kenya Ports Authority managing director a seat on the KRA board. The law also makes all KRA board members substantive and removes the ex officio designation from the relevant provisions, affecting the Treasury Principal Secretary, the Attorney General and the Commissioner General. Parliament passed the Bill on 7 October, and the National Assembly brief calls the change an efficiency measure because the operations of the two agencies are co-dependent.
Home-Grown Ratings: African Union Launches AfCRA in Mauritius as Kenya Plans Talks on a Nairobi Base
The African Union has launched the Africa Credit Rating Agency in Mauritius, an African-led body meant to assess the continent's economies more accurately and ease the financing challenges its borrowers face. Mauritius minister Jyoti Jeetun said the agency is not about asking the world to rate Africa more favourably, while President William Ruto urged leaders to protect its independence and methodological integrity. Kenya will open talks on making Nairobi a secondary jurisdiction for the agency and on becoming a sovereign client, though ownership, funding and fee details were not reported.
Third Ebola Case: Kenya Confirms 65-Year-Old Relative in Quarantine, With No Trade or Travel Curbs
Kenya has confirmed a third Bundibugyo Ebola case, a 65-year-old woman and close relative of the first two patients, who tested positive while already in quarantine since 2 October. The Ministry of Health reports 127 of 130 identified contacts traced and quarantined, no evidence of community transmission, and no restrictions on travel, trade or public gatherings. Airport screening has been stepped up, including at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, with arriving passengers and crew from high-risk countries required to complete digital surveillance forms before disembarking.