Patient zero: Kenya confirms first ever imported Ebola case

Health CS Aden Duale briefs on Kenya's first ever case of Ebola at Afya House, Nairobi. He is accompanied by other Ministry of Health, and WHO officials. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

Kenya has today, October 6, 2026, confirmed its first case of Ebola.

The case was detected in a Kenyan citizen who travelled by road from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to Kampala, Uganda, before flying to Nairobi aboard a Jambojet flight on Saturday last week.

The patient has since died after receiving treatment at Nairobi Hospital, The Standard can confirm.

According to Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, the patient underwent public health screening upon arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), Nairobi, in line with health protocols.

The patient was picked up by a relative at JKIA and driven to Nairobi Hospital, where he was isolated before being transferred to the hospital’s East Wing Isolation Facility.

The confirmation comes months after public outcry over the government’s decision to allow the establishment of an Ebola quarantine facility in Laikipia County, funded by the United States government.

Activists and lobby groups protested the facility, arguing that it could expose Kenyans to the deadly virus. At least three protesters died during clashes with security officers in early June.

Kenya has over the last few months tightened its response to Ebola, with public health emergency centers activated at both levels of government, and screening intensified at all border points.

Health authorities in June said surveillance had been heightened following the outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain in the DRC, which spread into neighbouring Uganda.

As at October 2026, the DRC has reported more than 8,000 confirmed Ebola cases and about 4,080 deaths since the outbreak began in May, according to the draft.

The World Health Organisation has described the outbreak as the worst ever.