Kenya has confirmed its first imported case of Ebola Bundibugyo virus disease after a patient who had travelled from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) through Uganda died while receiving treatment in Nairobi.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale confirmed the case on Tuesday, October 6, saying the patient had arrived in Kenya from the DRC after travelling through Uganda.
“The Ministry of Health wishes to inform members of the public that it has confirmed the first imported case of Ebola Bundibugyo virus disease,” Duale said.
The patient had been living and working in the DRC for the past seven years and fell ill about a month ago, according to the CS.
He was treated at several hospitals in the DRC before travelling by road to Uganda as he made his way back to Kenya.
Duale said the patient later boarded a Jambojet flight carrying 23 passengers and four crew members and arrived at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) on Saturday, October 3, at 1:10pm.
The patient underwent routine public health screening at JKIA before proceeding through the immigration desk.
He was later transported directly from the airport by relatives and friends in a Toyota Fielder to Nairobi Hospital, where he was isolated in a separate room.
At the hospital, the patient presented with fever, chills, intense fatigue, weakness, muscle pain, painful swallowing and bleeding under the skin.
“Based on the presentation and history of travel, the doctors considered his case to be viral fever and collected samples for testing, which turned positive for Ebola,” Duale said.
The samples were tested at the National Virology Reference Laboratory operated by the National Public Health Institute and the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI).
Both laboratories confirmed that the patient was infected with Ebola.
The patient was subsequently placed on supportive treatment but died on Monday, October 5, at 11:30pm.
“Arrangements for the safe and dignified burial of the deceased are ongoing, and the burial is planned for later today in line with Ebola-safe and dignified burial protocols,” Duale said.
The Ministry of Health has so far identified 28 contacts linked to the deceased, including family members and healthcare workers who attended to him during his treatment.
Duale said health authorities were also pursuing the 23 passengers and four crew members who travelled on the same flight as the deceased.
“We are also pursuing a further 23 passengers and four crew members who were on the same flight with the deceased,” he added.
The Ministry has stepped up surveillance and response measures following the confirmation of the imported case.
Duale said 4,971 healthcare workers at both national and county levels had been trained on Ebola prevention and management.
He added that the government had notified the World Health Organization (WHO) of the confirmed case.
“All systems are in place to mitigate the spread of the disease,” the CS reiterated.
The confirmed case in Kenya comes amid an ongoing Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus in the DRC.
As of October 2, 2026, the DRC had recorded 8,442 confirmed Ebola cases and 4,080 confirmed deaths, according to the latest available outbreak figures.
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