Kenya confirms first Ebola death

Kenya has confirmed its first Ebola death after a man who travelled from the Democratic Republic of Congo and died at a Nairobi hospital.

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, that the Kenyan citizen had lived in DR Congo for seven years. He fell ill about a month ago and received treatment there before travelling by road to Kampala. 

He flew to Nairobi on Saturday, October 3, and died late on Monday while receiving treatment at Nairobi Hospital. Tests confirmed that he had the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola. 

The man passed through health screening at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport before a relative took him to hospital. 

Medical staff isolated him after he arrived with fever, chills, fatigue and bleeding beneath the skin. Kenya’s health director-general, Patrick Amoth, said medication may have masked his symptoms during airport screening.

Kenyan authorities have identified 28 people who had contact with the patient, including relatives and health workers. 

They are also tracing 23 passengers and four crew members from his flight out of Uganda. 

The patient’s route has raised concern about possible exposure during his journey, but Kenyan officials have announced no further confirmed cases.

“We have continued to maintain, as a country, a high level of alert for Ebola since the outbreak began in May,” Duale said. Authorities planned to bury the man under safety procedures intended to prevent further transmission. 

The death comes as DR Congo battles a major outbreak of Bundibugyo Ebola. Uganda recorded 20 cases and two deaths linked to the outbreak before declaring it over in August. 

According to the World Health Organisation, Bundibugyo Ebola spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person or contaminated materials. Symptoms can appear two to 21 days after exposure.