Kenya: First Ebola Case Confirmed After Patient Flew Into Nairobi

October 6, 2026 — Kenya’s health ministry has confirmed the country’s first Ebola case. The patient flew into Nairobi on a commercial flight on Saturday and died on Monday night, and officials are now tracing the other passengers.

What happened

The case: Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said the patient was a Kenyan man who had lived in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for about seven years. He had been ill for about a month and was treated in several Congolese hospitals.
The journey: He travelled by road through Uganda and then flew from Entebbe to Nairobi on Jambojet, landing at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport at about 1:10 pm on Saturday, October 3. The flight number has not been published (TBA).
The outcome: He was admitted to Nairobi Hospital, tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, and died late on Monday, October 5.
Tracing: 28 contacts, mostly family and health workers, are being monitored for 21 days. The 23 passengers on the flight are being traced. Jambojet says it is cooperating, and border points are on high alert.
Context: Kenya is the fourth country with a case in this outbreak, after the DRC, Uganda and France. The Associated Press reports there is no approved vaccine or treatment for this strain.

The wider outbreak

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its outbreak page on October 5. As of October 2 it counts 8,463 confirmed cases and 4,082 confirmed deaths, almost all in the DRC, with 20 cases in Uganda and one in France. The page does not yet include Kenya.

Advisories and entry rules: no change yet

No Kenyan travel restriction or new airport screening rule was announced in the reports we read.
US, Canadian and UK advisories for Kenya had not changed when checked on October 6.
Existing rules still apply to the outbreak countries. The US bars anyone who was in the DRC in the past 21 days from boarding US-bound flights, and routes US citizens arriving from Uganda or South Sudan through Washington Dulles, Atlanta or New York JFK. Canada has temporary measures for the DRC, Uganda and South Sudan through November 27, 2026.

What it means for airline travelers

Kenya is open. Flights at Nairobi are operating and no entry rule has changed. Expect health screening on arrival.
Watch for new rules on arrivals from Kenya. Other countries could add screening or restrictions at short notice. Standby travelers should recheck US and Canadian rules on the day of travel, because a rule change can stop you at the gate.
Mind your routing. A recent stay in the DRC, Uganda or South Sudan already triggers US and Canadian restrictions, even if you fly home from Nairobi.
If you flew Entebbe to Nairobi on October 3, follow instructions from Kenyan health authorities and tell your doctor about the flight.
Health questions belong with the official CDC and Canadian notices and your own doctor. Register with STEP (US) or Registration of Canadians Abroad before you go.