October 9, 2026 — Update to our October 8 story. A suspected Ebola case in Wajir tested negative on preliminary results, Kenyan media report, leaving the country with one confirmed case. The World Health Organization published a new outbreak update on Thursday. US entry rules have not been extended to travellers from Kenya.
What changed
- Wajir suspected case: Negative on preliminary results. Kenya has tested 276 people, Kenya Times reports.
- Contacts: 66 people are in quarantine. Officials are tracing passengers and crew of a Jambojet flight, The Online Kenyan reports.
- Arrival screening: Kenya is screening travellers from 10 African countries.
- WHO update, October 8: The Democratic Republic of the Congo had 8,728 confirmed cases and 4,205 deaths as of October 6. Kenya’s single case was imported; the patient died October 5.
- The patient’s route: Overland from the DRC to Uganda, then a flight from Entebbe to Nairobi on October 3, according to a US Embassy Kampala health alert. The embassy says Uganda has no known cases.
Entry rules
- United States: Unchanged, per the CDC page updated October 8. Anyone who was in the DRC in the past 21 days cannot board a US-bound commercial flight. US citizens who were in Uganda or South Sudan must arrive through designated screening airports.
- Kenya is not on the US list.
- United Kingdom: Foreign Office advice for Kenya notes some countries may screen travellers arriving from Kenya.
- Travel insurance rule: Nothing new since the court ruling we reported October 8.
What it means for airline travelers
- Routing through Entebbe or Kampala on the way home? US citizens must arrive through a designated screening airport. Confirm your routing with the airline before listing.
- Expect health screening on arrival in Nairobi if you are coming from one of the screened countries.
- Other countries may screen arrivals from Kenya. Allow extra connection time.
- Read the CDC and WHO pages before you go. Take health questions to a travel clinic.
- Check medical evacuation cover. The US Embassy in Kampala specifically advises it.
Sources
- World Health Organization: Disease Outbreak News DON619: Ebola disease caused by Bundibugyo virus – Democratic Republic of the Congo
- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Ebola Outbreak: Current Situation
- US Embassy Kampala via AllAfrica: Uganda: Health Alert – U.S. Embassy Kampala, Uganda (October 7, 2026)
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office: Kenya travel advice
- Kenya Times: Ebola Test Results For Suspected Case In Wajir Kenya Turn Negative
- The Online Kenyan: Kenya heightens Ebola response with 66 contacts quarantined
- The Online Kenyan: Kenya steps up Ebola screening for travellers from 10 African countries
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