Kenya has reported its first death from Ebola after an infected traveller arrived in Nairobi from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) through Uganda.

The outbreak involves the Bundibugyo virus. The patient, who had been living in the DRC for several years, became ill there and received treatment before travelling by road to Kampala via Beni on October 2. The patient then flew to Nairobi, arriving the following day, according to Kenyan Health Minister Aden Duale.

A relative and a friend took the patient to a hospital after arrival in Kenya. The patient was isolated, tested positive for Ebola and later died despite receiving care. The burial took place on Tuesday under Kenya’s Ebola response protocol.

Contact tracing and screening

Kenyan health authorities have identified 28 potential contacts, including relatives and health workers who cared for the patient. The World Health Organization said authorities were also tracking 23 passengers and four crew members who were on the flight.

The WHO is working with Kenyan authorities on contact tracing and stronger screening for people entering the country. Kenya has also begun more targeted surveillance at high-risk points of entry. The organisation said it delivered about 1,000 Ebola tests and 1,000 personal protective equipment kits to high-risk counties.

It remains unclear how the patient passed airport screening. Uganda’s Ministry of Health said the patient had a normal temperature during screening at Entebbe airport. Kenyan authorities are investigating whether medication may have been taken to conceal symptoms, although that possibility has not been established.

Ugandan officials said they were seeking the patient’s digital airport declaration and reviewing security-camera footage as part of their investigation. Government spokesperson Alan Kasujja wrote on X: “Leave Uganda out of this conversation. We don’t have Ebola here.”

Regional concern

The DRC outbreak began in Ituri province and has spread to seven provinces in the country’s north and east. The WHO says it has caused 4,148 deaths among 8,300 reported cases. North Kivu is recording 40 percent of new cases, according to Doctors Without Borders.

Jean Bisimwa Nachega, a professor of infectious diseases at Stellenbosch University, said population movement, displacement, cross-border trade and fragile health systems were making containment more difficult. “Regional cooperation is therefore essential,” he said.

Wolfgang Preiser, a professor and head of medical virology at Stellenbosch University, said the number and speed of infections were placing heavy pressure on response systems. “I am not surprised that cases have reached other provinces in DRC and neighbouring countries,” he said, adding that this could continue until case numbers begin to decline.

The Bundibugyo strain was first detected in Uganda in 2007, according to the WHO. The latest outbreak is believed to have begun with transmission from animals to humans before spreading between people. Ebola can pass through contact with bodily fluids from an infected person or wild animal, including contaminated surfaces and meat. Symptoms can appear between two and 21 days after infection.

Kenya’s response follows earlier preparations, including the delivery of testing supplies and protective equipment to high-risk counties. WHO regional director for Africa Mohamed Janabi said Kenya had put important control measures in place and needed to move quickly to identify any further cases.