NAIROBI, Kenya- A 20-year-old man in Habaswein, Wajir County, has been isolated after presenting with fever, headache and a cough, according to a report from Habaswein Police Station.
The patient recently travelled from the Democratic Republic of Congo through Uganda before arriving in Habaswein.
He is receiving treatment at a local private health facility and remains unwell, the report says.
A sample was collected and was due to be sent to the National Public Health Virology Laboratory on Wednesday night for testing.
Health and security teams are also identifying people who may have had contact with him.
No confirmed diagnosis yet
The report describes the illness as a suspected viral haemorrhagic fever or severe febrile illness.
It does not confirm Ebola, and no test results had been reported at the time of writing.
Kenya confirmed its first imported case of Bundibugyo Ebola virus disease on October 6, involving a Kenyan citizen who had travelled from the DRC. The report on the Habaswein patient does not establish a link to that case.
The patient first developed symptoms while in the DRC, according to the report. He later sought treatment in Habaswein after arriving in the area, but his condition did not improve.
Contact identification is ongoing, while the sub-county security team is monitoring the situation. Authorities have not released the patient’s name.
Kenya’s first confirmed Ebola case
The suspected case comes a day after Kenya confirmed its first imported case of Bundibugyo virus disease, a type of Ebola, in a Kenyan citizen who had been living in the DRC.
The patient tested positive for the virus and died on October 5, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
The WHO has not reported a connection between that case and the patient in Habaswein.
Kenya has been on heightened alert since Ebola outbreaks were declared in the DRC and Uganda in May 2026.
As of October 6, the country had screened more than 652,000 travellers, tested 267 suspected samples and trained about 5,000 health workers in Ebola prevention and management, the WHO said.
The Bundibugyo virus can spread through direct contact with the blood or other body fluids of an infected person, or with contaminated materials.
The WHO says there are currently no approved vaccines or specific treatments for Bundibugyo virus disease, although candidate products are being evaluated in clinical trials.
Health authorities are tracing contacts linked to the confirmed case and strengthening screening at high-risk points of entry.
The WHO has advised against travel or trade restrictions based on the information currently available.
