Kenya Confirms First Ebola Death

A Kenyan man who flew into Nairobi on Saturday, 3 October, has died of Ebola, the first confirmed case of the disease in Kenya, the Ministry of Health said on Tuesday, 6 October.

The man had lived in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for seven years.

He fell sick about a month ago and was treated at several hospitals there before travelling home.

The Ministry says tests at two laboratories confirmed he had Bundibugyo Ebola, a strain of the Ebola virus.

How he got to Nairobi

According to the Ministry's statement on X, signed by Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, the man travelled by road from the DRC to Kampala, Uganda's capital.

He then boarded Jambo Jet flight 8523, a Kenyan budget airline flight, and landed at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi at 1.10 pm on Saturday, 3 October 2026.

He passed through the normal health screening at the airport's port health and immigration desks.

A relative and a friend then drove him straight from the airport to Nairobi Hospital, a large private hospital in the capital.

He was placed in a separate room in the emergency department and later moved to the hospital's East Wing isolation facility.

What the doctor saw

The man had fever, chills, heavy tiredness and weakness, muscle pain, a sore throat and pain when swallowing.

He also had bleeding under the skin where injections had been given.

Because of those signs and his travel from the DRC, the doctor suspected a viral haemorrhagic fever, a group of severe diseases that includes Ebola, and took a sample.

It tested positive at the National Virology Reference Laboratory and at the KEMRI laboratory.

He was given supportive treatment but died on the night of Monday, 5 October, the Ministry said.

His burial was planned for Tuesday, 6 October, under Ebola safe and dignified burial rules.

The Ministry offered condolences to his family and friends.

55 people now being traced

The Ministry has listed 28 contacts of the dead man, including family members and health workers who treated him.

It is also tracing 23 passengers and 4 crew members from the same flight.

That makes 55 people in all. Arrangements to quarantine those at risk are under way, it said.

One positive out of 267

The Ministry says Kenya has been on high alert since an Ebola outbreak began in the Democratic Republic of Congo[DRC] in May 2026.

As of 6 October, it has screened 652,584 travellers and tested 267 samples at five laboratories.

Those are the National Virology Reference Laboratory, KEMRI Nairobi, KEMRI Kisumu, and two mobile labs at the Busia and Lwakhakha border points.

Only this one test has come back positive.

It has also trained 4,971 health workers across the country on preventing and managing Ebola, and has told the World Health Organization, as required under the International Health Regulations.

In the statement, the Ministry said "all systems are in place to mitigate the spread of the disease."

What the Ministry is asking of the public

The Ministry asked the public not to panic.

It urged frequent hand washing or use of alcohol-based hand rubs, and avoiding close contact with sick people coming from countries with active Ebola spread.

It also asked people who feel unwell to go to a recognised health facility, and to report anyone known to be sick to the nearest facility.

Health workers were told to keep the highest infection control standards whatever condition they are treating. Updates will come through official Ministry platforms and the toll-free line 719.