Kenya confirmed its first Ebola case on Tuesday, October 6, after a Kenyan man who had lived in the Democratic Republic of Congo for seven years died in Nairobi.

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said the patient tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain after travelling by road from the DRC to Uganda’s capital Kampala and then boarding Jambojet flight 8523 to Nairobi, arriving at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on Saturday, October 3 at 13:10.

The man passed through routine health screening at the airport, was taken by relatives to Nairobi Hospital, admitted with fever, chills and bleeding beneath the skin, and was placed in isolation before dying.

The Ministry of Health is tracing the 23 passengers and four crew on the flight and has identified 28 contacts, all of whom will be quarantined for 21 days.

The case makes Kenya the third country to record a case linked to the eastern Congo Ebola outbreak, which has recorded more than 8,000 cases; Uganda earlier reported 20 cases and two deaths but was declared Ebola-free.

Jambojet said it is cooperating with the Ministry of Health to manage exposed passengers and crew, and reiterated that the health and safety of its guests, crew and staff remain its highest priority.

Jambojet had resumed daily Nairobi-Entebbe services on October 1 after a six-year hiatus and carried the Ebola patient two days later; the airline had projected cross-border passenger traffic to exceed 300,000 travellers in 2026.

Tourism officials warned that misinformation linking Kenya to Ebola could trigger cancellations, noting that international visitor arrivals rose 6.2 per cent to 2.55 million in 2025 and hotel bed-night occupancy increased 12.6 per cent to 11.56 million.

The government has intensified surveillance at ports of entry and launched a communications campaign to counter misinformation and maintain traveller confidence.

The case also revived scrutiny of a US-backed Ebola quarantine facility proposed for Laikipia, for which the United States had pledged $13.5 million but construction was halted after a court dispute.

The United States continues to classify Kenya as a Level Two travel destination, advising travellers to exercise increased caution because of health and security risks.