Kenya routes arrivals from 10 African countries via JKIA Gate 16; Ebola contacts rise to 57

Kenya has designated Gate 16 at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi for passengers arriving from 10 African countries, Public Health and Professional Standards Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni announced, Capital FM reported on 7 October.

The countries are the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Angola, the Central African Republic, Zambia and Tanzania. Enhanced screening will be carried out at the gate, Capital FM reported.

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said, as quoted by Citizen Digital on 7 October: "Any aircraft coming to JKIA from these countries will go to Gate 16 where our scanning health facilities have been placed." He also said: "Declaration forms must be filled with all required truth. If you falsify it, in line with the Public Health Act, you are committing a crime."

Passengers arriving in Kenya will be required to give verified information on their health status and disclose any treatment or medication received in the previous month, according to Capital FM. Departing travellers must also fill in a health declaration form. Capital FM reported that the requirement is meant to help health authorities identify travellers who may have been ill before arrival. The patient who died in Nairobi had reportedly been unwell and receiving medication.

Kenya confirmed its first imported Ebola case on 6 October, the Kenya News Agency (KNA) reported on 7 October. Health workers at The Nairobi Hospital, working with the Ministry of Health, diagnosed the case. The patient later died, and the Ministry organised the burial with the Kenya Red Cross Society. Citizen Digital reported that the patient arrived in Kenya on 3 October.

The number of contacts linked to the case has risen to 57 from an initial 55, Duale said, according to KNA. Ten contacts have been traced and placed in quarantine at the National Police Service Hospital in Nairobi, where they are monitored daily for symptoms. In a Ministry of Health statement dated 7 October, Duale said the country is not experiencing an Ebola outbreak.

The government has designated five hospitals to treat Ebola patients, with 241 beds between them, The Star reported on 7 October, citing Duale. The Nairobi Hospital has the largest allocation. Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital has 50 beds, National Police Service Hospital 49, Kenyatta National Hospital eight and Port Reitz Hospital four.

Five further sites are designated as temporary isolation centres for suspected cases, KNA reported. They include Malaba Health Centre, Busia Border and Kocholia. Alupe Sub-District Hospital in Busia County is being renovated so that it can take Ebola patients. Duale said capacity "will increase with the establishment of more facilities as the situation evolves."

Citizen Digital reported that the government has set aside an initial KSh 2.6 billion for the response and is mobilising about KSh 70 billion from international partners.

Duale urged the public to observe strict hand hygiene and avoid contact with people showing symptoms, KNA reported. He called on anyone with suspected symptoms, or who may have been exposed, to seek care immediately at a recognised health facility and report suspected cases to health authorities. The Ministry's toll-free line for inquiries is 719. Capital FM reported that the government has also urged travellers and the public to reduce physical contact and revive COVID-19 precautions.

On 30 May 2026, Muthoni announced that Gate 16 would serve passengers from high-risk countries, with an isolation centre staffed by port health officials at the gate, The Star reported. Capital FM reported that the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention commended Kenya's response to the imported case.