Duale at pains to explain why it took 48 hours to confirm Kenya's Ebola case

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has discouraged implementing travel or trade limitations on Kenya, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in light of Kenya's first recorded case of Ebola, carried by the Bundibugyo virus, according to a statement released on Tuesday, October 6, 2026. The patient, a Kenyan national who had resided in the DRC, fell ill and received treatment at multiple hospitals before journeying to Nairobi via Kampala, Uganda.

The individual unfortunately passed away in Nairobi. Outlining his condolences to the deceased's family, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus praised Kenya's response to the situation, stating that the government had promptly reported the infection and WHO had stepped up measures to avert further transmission. WHO is currently assisting the governments of Kenya, the DRC, and Uganda in contact tracing, surveillance, screening, and other response measures to swiftly identify potential cases and impede further spread.

Tedros affirmed that WHO will persistently monitor the situation and will confirm any travel or trade restrictions related to the epidemic. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) Director General, Dr Jean Kaseya, also commended Kenya for its swift actions in detecting, isolating, and managing the patient, in accordance with WHO guidelines.

However, Kaseya emphasized the importance of distinguishing between an imported case and an outbreak involving local transmission, stressing that no outbreak has occurred in Kenya at this juncture.