Kenya confirms its first Ebola death as outbreak spreads

ByBasillioh Rukanga Reporting fromNairobi. 6 October 2026, 09: 49 BST.

Key points

• More than 4, 000 individuals have died from Ebola in DR Congo this year, in what is the second most deadly known outbreak of the disease.
• According to Duale, after being taken to the Nairobi Hospital, the patient was transferred to an isolation facility that was built during the Covid-19 pandemic.
• Shortly after DR Congo declared an outbreak of Ebola in May, it was additionally noted in Uganda, where two individuals died.
• According to the minister, the patient first travelled by road from DR Congo to the Ugandan capital, Kampala, where he boarded a flight to Nairobi.
• Kenya has confirmed its first ever case of Ebola – a Kenyan citizen who has been living in the Democratic Republic of Congo for the past seven years.

Health Minister Aden Duale remarked the patient. This person fell ill a month ago, and was treated in a number of hospitals in DR Congo, died days after arriving in the capital, Nairobi.

Duale remarked the patient boarded a flight on Saturday and underwent normal public screening at the main airport in Nairobi before he was transferred by a relative to a hospital in the city.

Shortly after DR Congo declared an outbreak of Ebola in May, it was additionally noted in Uganda, where two individuals died. Nevertheless, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that county free of the disease in August.

Since then, all known cases of the highly infectious disease have been in DR Congo.

In practice, the virus spreads through contact with infected bodily fluids such as blood or vomit.

What is Ebola and why is stopping the latest outbreak so tough?

For context, the current outbreak in DR Congo has been caused by the Bundibugyo species of Ebola. It is relatively rare, with no approved vaccine or treatment.

There are nevertheless four vaccines in development, with human trials for one of them rolled out in July.

According to Duale, the Kenyan national had tested positive for the Bundibugyo species.

It was there that the patient "developed fever, chills, intense fatigue and weakness, painful swallowing, muscle pain and bleeding under the skin".

"Doctors suspected a viral haemorrhagic fever based on his symptoms and travel history and collected samples for testing. The sample tested positive for Ebola Bundibugyo virus, " Duale remarked.

For context, the patient died at 23: 30 (20: 30 GMT) on Monday and his burial is planned for afterwards on Tuesday in line with public health safety protocols.

While health authorities are tracing a further 23 passengers and four crew members who travelled on the same flight, at least 28 contacts, including family members and healthcare workers, have been identified.

For context, a senior health ministry official remarked the patient might have passed screening at the airport as the medication he was taking masked his symptoms.

Kenya introduced tighter checks at airports and border posts after the outbreak was declared in DR Congo.

Meanwhile, the health minister pressed Kenyans "not to panic, as all systems are in place to mitigate the spread of the disease".

He asked health workers to be "extra vigilant and maintain the highest infection prevention and control measures regardless of the condition being treated".

For context, the WHO has recorded 4, 082 deaths out of 8, 463 cases in the current outbreak, making it the largest ever recorded in DR Congo, where Ebola was first discovered.

Medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) believes the current toll could be even higher since of gaps in surveillance and testing in the war-torn country.

On Monday, MSF remarked the virus was spreading "like a megafire", with new hotspots emerging in North Kivu province. It borders Ituri where the virus began.

Since early September this had "intensified dramatically" with the province now accounting for almost 40% of all newly confirmed cases nationwide, MSF stated.

Eastern DR Congo has been riven by decades of conflict, with multiple rebel groups operating in the region against the backdrop of ethnic tensions and fighting for political power and control of lucrative natural resources.

For context, the crisis has led to the death and displacement of millions of individuals, and hampered the country's ability to develop and maintain functional health care systems and infrastructure. More from the BBC on the Ebola outbreak.

'I buried my parents one day after the other' – Ebola mourners learn how to grieve safely.

Recovery of Ebola patients offers rare moments of joy at epicentre of outbreak.

'They remarked it isn't real': Ebola rumours fuel attacks on health workers.

Why Uganda is winning the battle against Ebola as virus spreads in DR Congo.

Go to BBCAfrica.com, external for more news from the African continent.

In short, kenya confirms its first Ebola death as outbreak spreads is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.