Kenya confirms first Ebola case as man dies in Nairobi after DRC return | Ebola News
Kenya Reports First Ebola Case Linked to Deadly Outbreak in DRC
Published October 6, 2026
Kenya has confirmed its first case of Ebola following the death of a Kenyan national in Nairobi who recently returned from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The patient had lived in the DRC for seven years and had been experiencing symptoms for approximately one month.
Aden Duale, Kenya’s health secretary, stated during a news conference on Tuesday that the individual traveled by road from the DRC to Kampala, Uganda, before flying to Nairobi on Saturday.
Health officials have identified 28 contacts of the deceased, including family members and health workers who provided care. An additional 23 passengers from the flight from Uganda are also being traced.
Patrick Amoth, director-general of the Kenyan Ministry of Health, noted that the identified contacts will be placed under isolation for 21 days. They will be released if they test negative for the virus.
Earlier this year, Uganda reported 20 cases and two deaths due to Ebola but was declared Ebola-free in August.
The ongoing outbreak in the DRC, now considered the country’s 17th, was officially declared on May 15. Since then, it has rapidly escalated, resulting in more than 4,000 deaths and over 8,300 confirmed cases across seven provinces, marking it as the deadliest Ebola epidemic in the nation’s history.
The World Health Organization cautioned that the epidemic is “far from over” and could potentially surpass the 2014-2016 West Africa outbreak that resulted in over 11,000 fatalities, primarily in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.
