By Breitbart News Network | Created at 2026-10-07 15:41:47 | Updated at 2026-10-07 21:56:02
9 hours ago
The government of Kenya confirmed its first Ebola death linked to the ongoing outbreak of the disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on Tuesday, a Kenyan citizen who had traveled from the DRC through Uganda to Kenya last week.
The patient, whose identity has not been made public, reportedly showed symptoms of the disease prior to arriving in Kenya and did not survive despite immediately receiving treatment after being identified in Kenya. Notably, authorities confirmed that he was allowed to enter the country after passing an airport Ebola screening, leaving some observers to question the system’s ability to properly identify and isolate cases.
The World Health Organization (W.H.O.), which has been closely involved in the Ebola response in DRC, confirmed the case on Tuesday and emphasized that, despite four countries now having identified Ebola cases in their territory, the agency highly discouraged countries from imposing limits on travel to contain the disease. The DRC, Uganda, France, and now Kenya have documented cases of Ebola tied to the current outbreak.
The W.H.O. declared a public health emergency in May after authorities in eastern DRC began documenting a growing number of cases of Ebola. The strain currently circulating in the DRC is known as “Bundibugyo,” a slightly less common strain than the Zaire and Sudan strains that have caused previous large-scale outbreaks. As of September 23, the latest available update, the W.H.O. has documented 7,890 Ebola cases linked to the outbreak and 3,799 deaths, meaning about half of those diagnosed with the disease have died.
Port health officials from Kenya’s Ministry of Health monitor data as they wait for passengers at the arrival screening point at the international airport in Nairobi on October 7, 2026. Kenya has reported its first-ever Ebola death after a Kenyan man who had been living in the Democratic Republic of Congo died after returning to the country. (SIMON MAINA / AFP via Getty Images)
The number of cases in Uganda and France have been significantly lower and identified upon arrival; at press time there is no indication that the virus is spreading within those countries.
Kenyan Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale confirmed the country’s first Bundibugyo case on Tuesday, detailing the travel route that the individual, identified as a Kenyan citizen, took to Nairobi. The patient had reportedly lived in the DRC for seven years and had begun showing symptoms of Ebola about a month ago. The patient reportedly attempted to seek medical care in the DRC before deciding to return home, driving to Uganda before flying into Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) on Saturday. The patient was allowed to enter the country and sought medical treatment before dying on Monday.
The airline whose flight the patient took, Jambojet, is reportedly working to monitor the passengers on the flight. Reports state that there were 23 people on the flight and the Kenyan government has identified 28 contacts of the deceased to monitor for the next 21 days, as Ebola protocol recommends. The African Centres for Disease Control (CDC) and the W.H.O. have both confirmed they are deploying resources to help Kenya respond to the situation.
“Health emergency preparedness gives us a head start. Kenya has put important outbreak control measures in place,” the W.H.O.’s Africa Director Mohamed Janabi said in a statement. “The priority now is to move swiftly to detect any further cases before the virus has an opportunity to spread. We’re supporting the ongoing efforts to strengthen the response, and with rapid and coordinated action, we can prevent the virus from gaining a foothold and stop a potential larger outbreak.”
The W.H.O.’s general statement was effusive in condemning travel bans to limit the spread of the disease.
“WHO advises against any restriction of travel to, or trade with, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda or Kenya based on the currently available information,” the statement read. “WHO continues to closely monitor and, where necessary, verify travel and trade measures in relation to this event.”
W.H.O. Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreysus similarly published a statement on social media discouraging travel bans to contain the virus.
“WHO advises against any restriction of travel to, or trade with, the affected countries based on the currently available information,” Tedros asserted. “We continue to closely monitor and, where necessary, verify travel and trade measures in relation to this epidemic.”
The United States banned entry to individuals traveling from the DRC, Uganda, and South Sudan during the first days that the outbreak was declared in May. It was later joined by India, Thailand, Canada, and the Bahamas in imposing travel restrictions. Washington has encouraged European countries to limit travel in response to the Ebola outbreak before the first case was detected in France.
In Kenya, the first Ebola Bundibugyo case has already become a source of political discord. On Tuesday, former Chief Justice and expected 2027 presidential candidate David Maraga challenged the effectiveness of the government of President William Ruto in stopping potential Ebola patients at points of entry.
“Maraga questioned how the patient was able to pass through airport screening despite having been unwell for several weeks,” Kenya’s The Star newspaper reported. “He also called for greater transparency in the management of the Ebola response.”
Kenya’s top medical union, the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU), quickly called for the government to mobilize resources to protect health workers on the front lines. “Our healthcare workers must not be the weakest link in our response. They must be our first line of protection,” KMPDU Secretary-General Dr Davji Atellah said in a statement, urging the government to ensure all health workers implicated have access to adequate personal protective gear and access to health care themselves.
