Kenya has confirmed its first-ever case of Ebola after a Kenyan citizen who had been living in the Democratic Republic of Congo died in Nairobi.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale announced the case on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, at Afya House.
The Ministry of Health said it has confirmed the first imported case of Ebola Bundibugyo Virus Disease. The patient, a Kenyan citizen who has been living in DRC for the past 7 years, fell ill about a month ago and was treated in several hospitals while still in DRC.
He travelled from DRC to Kampala by road and then boarded Jambojet flight number 8523 and arrived at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on Saturday, October 3 at 1:10 p.m. He underwent normal public health screening at Port Health and immigration.
He was transported by a relative and a friend directly from JKIA using KDG 699Z Toyota Fielder to Nairobi Hospital where he was quickly isolated in a separate room at the A&E and later transferred to the East Wing Isolation Facility.
He presented with fever, chills, intense fatigue and weakness, muscle pain, painful swallowing, sore throat and bleeding under the skin at injection sites. Doctors considered it a suspected Viral Haemorrhagic Fever and collected samples which tested positive at both the National Virology Reference Laboratory and the KEMRI Lab.
The patient was given supportive treatment but passed on Monday night at 11:30 p.m. Arrangements for a safe and dignified burial were ongoing for Tuesday in line with Ebola protocols.
Duale said 28 contacts have been listed including family members and health workers who attended to the deceased. Authorities are also pursuing 23 passengers and 4 crew members who were on the same flight.
Kenya has never previously recorded an Ebola case. The DRC is facing its 17th Ebola outbreak driven by the rare Bundibugyo strain, with more than 8,000 cases and over 4,000 deaths reported since May.
