Kenya has confirmed its first Ebola case after a citizen, who had traveled from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), died in Nairobi. The patient, a Kenyan man who had lived in the DRC for seven years, had tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola. He traveled from the DRC to Uganda's capital, Kampala, by road and then flew to Nairobi on Saturday, October 3, before receiving treatment at a Nairobi hospital.
The Ministry of Health confirmed the case on Tuesday, announcing that the patient had fallen ill about a month ago and received treatment at several hospitals in the DRC. Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale stated that the patient had traveled by road to Kampala before boarding Jambojet flight 8523 to Nairobi, arriving at 13:10. After arriving at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, the patient passed through health screening and was later taken to Nairobi Hospital by a relative.
The incident has raised health safety concerns, with the government now tracing 23 passengers and four crew who were on the Jambojet flight, in addition to 28 contacts already identified. Those considered at risk will be quarantined for 21 days. The case is likely to trigger jitters in the Kenyan tourism sector, especially if more Ebola cases are detected. Past outbreaks in Central and West Africa have historically triggered a broader "fear factor" that impacts tourism.
Jambojet, whose Entebbe-Nairobi flight carried the patient, said it was working with the Ministry of Health to identify and manage passengers and crew who may have been exposed. The airline urged passengers to rely on information from its verified channels and health authorities. Jambojet had resumed its daily flights between Nairobi and Entebbe after a six-year hiatus on October 1 and carried the Ebola victim two days later.
The case comes at a time when Kenya is seeking to protect its tourism industry, which recorded strong growth last year. International visitor arrivals rose by 6.2 percent to 2.55 million in 2025, while hotel bed-night occupancy jumped 12.6 percent to 11.56 million. Tourism stakeholders had already raised concerns in June that reports and social media posts linking Kenya to Ebola were affecting travel decisions.
Even before the country had recorded a case, the government said it had intensified surveillance at ports of entry and was running a communications campaign to counter misinformation and maintain confidence among travelers. The case has also drawn renewed attention to Kenya's preparedness facilities, including a US-backed Ebola quarantine facility proposed in Laikipia earlier this year.
The US government had committed $13.5 million towards Kenya's Ebola preparedness, but construction of the facility was later suspended following a court dispute. Currently, the United States classifies Kenya as a Level Two travel destination, advising travelers to exercise increased caution due to risks including crime, kidnapping, terrorism, civil unrest, health issues, and traffic safety.
Key points
- - The patient, a Kenyan man, had lived in the DRC for seven years and traveled from the DRC to Uganda and then to Nairobi before receiving treatment. - The government is tracing 23 passengers and four crew who were on the Jambojet flight, in addition to 28 contacts already identified, and those considered at risk will be quarantined for 21 days. - The case has raised concerns about the impact on Kenya's tourism sector, which had recorded strong growth last year, with international visitor arrivals rising by 6.2 percent to 2.55 million in 2025.
