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Kenya’s Ministry of Health confirmed the country’s first death from Ebola on Tuesday after a traveler from the Democratic Republic of Congo succumbed to the Bundibugyo strain in a Nairobi hospital. According to Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, the patient arrived in the capital on October 3 and was isolated at Nairobi Hospital after developing symptoms consistent with viral hemorrhagic fever. Tests returned positive for the virus, and the man died late on October 5 despite receiving supportive care, Duale stated during a press conference.
The patient’s journey began after he became ill in the DRC, where he had lived for the past seven years. Duale reported that the individual traveled by road to Kampala, Uganda, before boarding Jambojet flight 8523, which landed at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport around 1:10 p.m. on Saturday. He passed routine screening at the airport before being taken to the hospital by relatives, the health minister added.
Contact tracing efforts have identified 28 people who interacted with the deceased, including family members and healthcare workers, Kenya’s Ministry of Health said. Authorities are also seeking to locate 23 passengers and four crew members from the same flight for monitoring, according to Duale. Arrangements for a safe burial following Ebola protocols are underway and scheduled for later on Tuesday, the ministry indicated.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the ongoing Ebola outbreak has resulted in more than 8,000 cases and over 4,000 deaths this year, a Reuters assessment found.
The Bundibugyo variant, responsible for the current surge, was declared in mid-May although it may have begun earlier, the news agency reported. This marks the largest outbreak of the disease in the country’s history, according to regional health updates.
Uganda, which borders both nations, experienced a related outbreak earlier in 2026 that infected 20 people and caused two fatalities before the World Health Organization declared it over in August. Uganda’s Ministry of Health attributed the end of transmission to rapid response measures including the discharge of the last patient in June. The country continues heightened border surveillance due to the persistent DRC crisis, a government statement noted.
Kenya has maintained elevated preparedness since the DRC outbreak began, screening more than 52,000 travelers and testing 267 samples as of Tuesday, the Ministry of Health reported. Health workers participated in Ebola simulation training conducted by Medecins Sans Frontieres in August to bolster regional response capabilities, a Reuters dispatch showed. Duale emphasized that quarantine facilities have been prepared to contain any potential spread.
Ebola spreads through contact with bodily fluids of infected individuals, leading to symptoms such as fever, vomiting, diarrhea and in severe cases bleeding, according to descriptions from health authorities. The ministry urged the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious symptoms promptly. Officials continue to monitor the situation closely to prevent further transmission within Kenya.
