Kenya's first Ebola patient may have masked symptoms at JKIA, health DG says

Kenya's first Ebola patient may have taken medicine to lower his temperature and pass screening at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi on 3 October, Director-General for Health Dr Patrick Amoth said, as quoted by Citizen Digital on 6 October.

"We postulate that this patient took some medication to be able to mask some of his symptoms, including lowering his temperature and therefore could pass through," Amoth said. He said the patient underwent normal screening, "which is an automatic thermo-scanner".

"So far, we have screened more than 650,000 travellers from our 15 designated points of entry," Amoth said, as quoted by Citizen Digital.

The World Health Organization's Regional Office for Africa (WHO AFRO) gave figures as of 6 October in a statement the same day. Kenya had screened over 652,000 travellers entering the country, tested 267 suspected samples and trained around 5,000 health workers on Ebola prevention and management, it said.

On contact tracing, WHO AFRO said health authorities had listed 28 contacts, including family members and health workers who cared for the patient. They are also tracing 23 passengers and four crew members from the same flight. The Star reported on 7 October that all those at risk would be monitored or quarantined for 21 days.

Citizen Digital reported that the patient was a Kenyan citizen who had lived in the Democratic Republic of Congo for seven years. WHO AFRO said he fell ill in DR Congo, travelled by road to Kampala through Beni on 2 October and flew to Nairobi, arriving on 3 October. The Star said he landed on Jambojet flight JM 8523 at about 1.10pm on 3 October. He died on the night of 5 October and was buried on 6 October, WHO AFRO said. The Star put the time of death at about 11.30pm.

The Star reported on 7 October, citing hospital sources, that the man waited 18 hours in the emergency unit of Nairobi Hospital before Ebola was suspected. The Star said Nairobi Hospital had not responded to its request for comment. WHO AFRO said in its 6 October statement that on arrival the patient was taken to a hospital in Nairobi and was quickly isolated. "The patient had many signs and didn't say he came from DR Congo until he started bleeding from all openings," The Star quoted a medical staff member who was present when he was brought in as saying. The Star said samples tested positive for Bundibugyo virus at the National Virology Reference Laboratory and at the Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri).

Pathologist Dr Ahmed Kalebi, chairman of DKL Laboratories, said, as quoted by The Star: "Screening will never be 100 per cent effective, but the principle should be that we would rather investigate more false positives than miss a potentially dangerous case."

Citizen Digital reported that Amoth urged people with symptoms not to take a taxi or matatu, or be driven by a relative, because of the risk of exposure, and to call the toll-free number 719, where a team would pick them up. The Star said the Kenya Red Cross had urged calm and that safe and dignified burial teams and community surveillance volunteers were supporting the response.

WHO AFRO said Kenya is the fourth country to confirm a case of Bundibugyo virus disease. DR Congo is still responding to an outbreak, Uganda ended its latest outbreak in August 2026, and France reported a travel-related case in June 2026.

"Health emergency preparedness gives us a head start. Kenya has put important outbreak control measures in place," said Dr Mohamed Janabi, WHO Regional Director for Africa, in the statement.