Kenya has confirmed its first imported case of Ebola Bundibugyo virus disease after a Kenyan citizen who had been living in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for seven years died in Nairobi.
The Ministry of Health confirmed the case on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, saying the patient had travelled from the DRC to Kampala by road before boarding Jambojet flight 8523 to Nairobi on Saturday, October 3.
“The Ministry of Health wishes to inform members of the public that it has confirmed the first imported case of Ebola (Bundibugyo) Virus Disease,” Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said in the statement.
According to the Ministry, the patient fell ill about a month ago while still in the DRC and received treatment at several health facilities before travelling to Uganda and later Kenya.
He arrived at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport at about 1:10pm and underwent routine public health screening before proceeding through immigration.
The patient was later driven directly from the airport to Nairobi Hospital by a relative and a friend, where he was immediately isolated in a separate room in the Accident and Emergency department before being transferred to the hospital’s East Wing Isolation Facility.
The Ministry said he presented with fever, chills, intense fatigue and weakness, muscle pain, painful swallowing, a sore throat and bleeding under the skin at injection sites.
“Based on the above presentation and history of travel to DRC, the doctor considered this a case of Viral Haemorrhagic Fever and collected a sample for testing which turned positive for Ebola Bundibugyo Virus Disease at both the National Virology Reference Laboratory and the KEMRI Lab,” the statement said.
The patient was placed on supportive treatment but died on Monday night. The Ministry said arrangements had been made for his safe and dignified burial in accordance with Ebola burial protocols.
Kenyan health authorities have since intensified contact tracing and surveillance following the confirmation of the case, particularly among people who may have come into contact with the deceased during his journey from the DRC through Uganda to Kenya.
The development comes as the DRC continues to battle an Ebola Bundibugyo outbreak that has affected several health zones. The outbreak has also raised concern across East Africa because of the movement of people between the DRC, Uganda and Kenya.
Uganda was also affected by the Ebola outbreak after infections linked to transmission in the DRC were detected in the country earlier this year. Uganda mounted an extensive response involving rapid case identification, isolation and treatment, contact tracing, laboratory testing, infection prevention and control, community surveillance and monitoring of contacts.
Uganda recorded confirmed Ebola cases and deaths during the outbreak but eventually managed to interrupt transmission after health teams identified and followed up contacts of confirmed cases and strengthened surveillance in affected communities and health facilities.
After the last confirmed patient recovered and was discharged, Uganda entered the mandatory 42-day countdown required before an Ebola outbreak can be declared over. No new cases were detected during the monitoring period.
Uganda subsequently declared the Ebola outbreak over after completing the required 42 days without recording a new infection, marking the end of the country’s response to the outbreak.
The Ugandan response was supported by enhanced surveillance at points of entry, isolation and treatment centres, rapid-response teams, laboratory confirmation and extensive contact tracing. Health workers and communities in affected areas were also sensitised on Ebola prevention and the importance of reporting suspected cases early.
The Kenyan case has renewed concern over cross-border transmission because the deceased travelled through Kampala before entering Kenya. The development is likely to increase surveillance at airports, land border crossings and other points of entry as Kenyan authorities work to identify and monitor people who may have been exposed.
Ebola spreads mainly through direct contact with the blood or other body fluids of an infected person. Symptoms can include fever, weakness, muscle pain, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhoea and, in severe cases, bleeding.
Kenyan health authorities are now focusing on tracing and monitoring contacts linked to the deceased while maintaining heightened surveillance to prevent further transmission of the virus.
