NAIROBI, Kenya – Health authorities are tracing 23 passengers and four crew members who travelled on the same flight as Kenya’s first confirmed imported Ebola patient.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said the patient, a Kenyan citizen who had lived in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for seven years, travelled to Kenya after falling ill and receiving treatment at several hospitals in the DRC.
According to the Ministry of Health, the patient travelled from the DRC to Kampala by road before boarding a flight to Nairobi.
The ministry’s statement gives his arrival date as Saturday, October 3, 2023, at 1.10pm. However, the date conflicts with the current 2026 timeline and should be clarified by the Ministry of Health before publication.
Patient Screened At JKIA
Upon arrival in Nairobi, the patient underwent routine public health screening at the Port Health and immigration desks at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
He was then driven directly from the airport to Nairobi Hospital by a relative and a friend in a Toyota Fielder.
At the hospital, he was quickly isolated in a separate room in the accident and emergency department before being transferred to the East Wing Isolation Facility.
The patient presented with fever, chills, intense fatigue and weakness, muscle pain, painful swallowing, sore throat and bleeding under the skin at injection sites.
The Ministry said he had fallen ill about a month earlier and had received treatment at several hospitals in the DRC before travelling to Kenya.
27 Travellers Being Traced
The patient’s travel history has become a key part of the public health response as authorities seek to identify people who may have been exposed to him during his journey.
The Ministry said 23 passengers and four crew members who were on the same flight are being traced.
Authorities are also making arrangements to quarantine people considered to have been at risk of exposure.
Kenya Raises Ebola Surveillance
The Ministry said Kenya had maintained a high level of alert for Ebola since the outbreak began in May 2026.
As of October 6, 2026, health authorities had screened 652,584 travellers and tested 267 samples across five laboratories, with only one test returning positive.
The government has also trained 4,971 health workers at national and sub-national levels on Ebola prevention and management.
Kenya has notified the World Health Organisation of the confirmed case in line with the International Health Regulations.
Ministry Urges Public Not To Panic
The Ministry of Health urged Kenyans not to panic, saying measures were in place to contain the spread of the disease.
It advised members of the public to maintain hand hygiene and avoid close contact with sick people arriving from countries reporting active Ebola transmission.
The Ministry also urged anyone who becomes unwell to seek medical attention promptly as health authorities continue with contact tracing and other containment measures.
