Kenya confirmed its first-ever Ebola case on Tuesday after a Kenyan national who had been living in the Democratic Republic of Congo tested positive following his return to Nairobi and later died.
“The Ministry of Health Kenya <…> has confirmed the first imported case of Ebola virus disease. This patient is a Kenyan citizen who has been living in DRC for the past seven years,” said Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale.
Duale said the patient had been ill for about a month before travelling by road from DRC to Kampala and then flying to Nairobi on October 3. He was taken to Nairobi Hospital after passing routine health screening at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
“[The patient] turned positive for Ebola, and most of all for Ebola Bundibugyo virus disease <…> [he] passed on last night at around 11:30,” he added.
Authorities have identified 28 contacts, including relatives and healthcare workers, and are tracing another 23 passengers and four crew members who travelled on the same flight.
“Arrangements for quarantine of those at risk have been prepared, and this is to protect public health,” Duale said, adding that Kenya had been on high alert since the outbreak began in May.
“As of 6th October 2026, we have screened 652,584 travellers. We have tested 267 samples across our five laboratories <…> We have trained 4,971 healthcare workers,” he continued.
Director-General for Health Patrick Amoth said Kenya was coordinating with Uganda and the World Health Organization to prevent community transmission.
“You cannot be able to put a wall between Uganda and DR Congo, between Kenya and Uganda, to prevent the entry of a pathogen. Therefore, we continue to maintain a heightened state of alert,” he explained.
The case comes as DRC battles its largest recorded Ebola outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo virus. WHO reported 7,890 confirmed cases and 3,799 deaths in DRC as of September 23, with transmission spreading across seven provinces.
The outbreak previously crossed into Uganda, where 20 cases and two deaths were recorded. Uganda declared the outbreak over in late August after completing 42 days without a new confirmed case.
Source: Viory
