NAIROBI, October 6, 2026 – East Africa’s economic powerhouse, Kenya has confirmed its first case of Ebola strain of Bundibugyo virus disease [BVD], with health authorities launching contact tracing and enhanced surveillance following the death of the patient.
The country’s Ministry of Health said the patient was a Kenyan citizen who had been living in the Democratic Republic of Congo [DRC] for seven years before falling ill and travelling back to the region.
The patient travelled by road from the DRC to Kampala before boarding a Jambo Jet flight to Nairobi.
Upon arrival in Nairobi, the patient underwent public health screening at the port health and immigration desk before being taken to Nairobi Hospital by a relative and a friend.
The patient was immediately isolated and later transferred to the hospital’s isolation facility.
The patient presented with fever, chills, intense fatigue and weakness, muscle pain, painful swallowing, sore throat and bleeding under the skin at injection sites.
Given the symptoms and recent travel history from the DRC, doctors suspected viral haemorrhagic fever and collected samples for laboratory testing.
The samples tested positive for Bundibugyo Ebola virus disease at both the National Virology Reference Laboratory and the Kenya Medical Research Institute [KEMRI] laboratory.
The patient was placed on supportive treatment but later died.
Kenya’s Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale confirmed the case and said 28 contacts had so far been identified, including family members and health workers who attended to the deceased.
The Ministry said arrangements were being made for a safe and dignified burial in accordance with Ebola burial protocols.
28 contacts identified
The confirmation has triggered contact tracing, with Kenyan authorities identifying 28 people who may have been exposed to the patient.
The contacts include family members and health workers who attended to the deceased.
Authorities are also pursuing passengers and crew members who travelled on the same flight as the patient as part of efforts to identify anyone who may have been exposed.
Arrangements for quarantine and monitoring of people considered at risk are ongoing as health officials work to determine whether there has been any further exposure or transmission.
Kenya had previously reported no cases of Bundibugyo virus disease despite strengthening preparedness at its borders and other points of entry. WHO reported as recently as September 9 that Kenya had recorded no Bundibugyo Ebola case.
The confirmed case therefore represents a new development for Kenya as the country responds to an outbreak that has already affected the DRC and Uganda.
Regional outbreak
The case comes as the DRC continues to experience a large and geographically expanding outbreak of Bundibugyo virus disease.
WHO reported that, as of September 23, the DRC had recorded 7,890 confirmed cases and 3,799 deaths, with the outbreak spread across 63 health zones in seven provinces.
Uganda, which shares a border with the DRC, also experienced an outbreak earlier in 2026 after imported cases were identified.
Uganda reported 20 confirmed cases, including two deaths, before the country was declared free of Ebola disease caused by Bundibugyo virus on August 27 following 42 consecutive days without a new confirmed case.
WHO has assessed the risk to countries bordering areas affected by Bundibugyo virus as high because of population movement and cross-border travel.
Kenya has consequently been strengthening surveillance and preparedness, particularly at high-risk points of entry.
In September, WHO reported that Kenya had trained health workers and engaged border stakeholders at priority points of entry, including the Busia and Malaba One-Stop Border Posts and Lwakhakha.
Kenya intensifies preparedness
According to the Ministry of Health, Kenya had screened 652,584 travellers since the regional outbreak began in May 2026.
The Ministry also said 267 samples had been tested across five laboratories, including the National Virology Reference Laboratory, KEMRI laboratories in Nairobi and Kisumu, and two mobile laboratories deployed at border points.
The ministry said only one of those tests had returned positive — the confirmed case now under investigation.
Kenya also says 4,971 health workers have been trained at national and sub-national levels on Ebola prevention and management.
The government has notified the World Health Organisation of the confirmed case in accordance with the International Health Regulations.
For now, health authorities are urging the public to remain calm while response teams conduct contact tracing and surveillance.
The Ministry is encouraging Kenyans to wash their hands frequently or use alcohol-based hand rubs, avoid close contact with people showing symptoms of Ebola and seek care from a recognised health facility if they become unwell.
Members of the public have also been urged to report people known to be sick to the nearest health facility, while health workers have been advised to maintain strict infection prevention and control measures.
The next phase: stopping transmission
For Kenya, the immediate priority is preventing an imported case from developing into wider transmission.
The identification and monitoring of contacts, alongside efforts to trace passengers and crew members who may have travelled with the patient, will be central to the response.
The coming days will therefore be critical as health authorities monitor people potentially exposed to the virus and investigate whether any additional cases have occurred.
WHO says outbreak control for Bundibugyo virus disease relies on rapid identification of cases, isolation and care, contact tracing, safe and dignified burials and strong community engagement. There is currently no licensed vaccine specifically approved for Bundibugyo virus disease.
The Kenyan Ministry of Health says it will continue updating the public as more information becomes available.
The DRC and Uganda were the first to announce Ebola outbreak in May but the World Health Organization declared Uganda Ebola-free on August 27, 2026, while a severe outbreak of the Bundibugyo virus continues across the DRC, with the country recorded 4,018 deaths out of 8,300 confirmed cases, as of October 2,2026.
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