On Wednesday, Nairobi reported the outbreak following the detection of a case in a passenger traveling from Uganda to Rwanda at a border crossing in southern Kenya.
The Central African Republic had earlier declared a new outbreak on Monday, extending to its capital, Bangui.
The virus causing mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, originates in wild animals and can occasionally be transmitted to humans, who can then spread it to others.
Mpox is characterised by flu-like symptoms, followed by a distinctive rash that often starts on the face and spreads to other parts of the body. While typically mild, severe cases can occur, and the disease has been associated with higher mortality rates in certain regions.
On Monday, Pierre Somsé, the Central African Republic’s public health minister, expressed deep concern about the monkeypox cases devastating region 7 of the country.
Mpox garnered global attention during the 2022 international outbreak, which saw the disease spread to over 100 countries. It has been endemic in certain regions of central and west Africa for decades.
In November, the World Health Organization confirmed the first case of sexual transmission of mpox in Congo. African scientists cautioned that this development could complicate efforts to control the disease.
While mpox outbreaks in Western countries were managed effectively with vaccines and treatments, access to these resources in parts of Africa has been scarce. Multiple African nations have reported new outbreaks in recent months.
Congo is the hardest-hit country on the continent, with over 12,000 cases and at least 470 deaths recorded this year in its largest outbreak to date. South Africa, which last reported an mpox case in 2022, has also experienced an outbreak this year.
Authorities in Central African Republic, with the disease most prevalent in remote regions, officials have urged the public to support government efforts to control its spread.
The East African Community has published a statement warning member states to the outbreak in Congo, which borders five countries in the region.
Burundi, one of these countries, has already confirmed three cases.
On Monday, Andrea Aguer Ariik Malueth, the bloc’s deputy secretary general, urged partner states to “provide necessary information about the disease and implement preventive measures.”