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The World Health Organisation has urged Kenya and other countries not to impose travel or trade restrictions following the confirmation of the country’s first Ebola case.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on October 6 that the available information did not justify restrictions against Kenya, Uganda or the Democratic Republic of Congo. The organisation said it would continue monitoring the situation and verify any measures introduced in response to the outbreak.
The warning came as Kenya intensified efforts to trace people who may have been exposed to the virus following the death of the country’s first confirmed patient.
WHO Supports Kenya With Contact Tracing
WHO said it was supporting Kenya, Uganda and the DRC with contact tracing, surveillance, screening and other emergency response measures.
The aim is to quickly identify anyone who may have been exposed and prevent further transmission.
Kenyan authorities have so far identified 28 contacts linked to the deceased patient, including relatives and healthcare workers who attended to him. Authorities are also tracing 23 passengers and four crew members who travelled on the same flight as the patient.
Patient Travelled From DRC Through Uganda
The first confirmed case involved a Kenyan citizen who had been living and working in the DRC for seven years.
The patient became ill while in the DRC and was treated at several health facilities before travelling by road through Uganda.
WHO said the patient reached Kampala on October 2 before boarding a flight to Nairobi the following day. He was taken to a Nairobi hospital after arrival and was quickly isolated after developing symptoms.
Laboratory tests conducted at both the National Virology Reference Laboratory and Kenya Medical Research Institute confirmed infection with Bundibugyo virus.
Despite receiving supportive treatment, the patient died on the night of October 5 and was buried the following day under Kenya’s Ebola safe and dignified burial procedures.
Ruto Orders Wider Contact Tracing
The confirmation has triggered increased surveillance and contact-tracing efforts across the country.
Health authorities are following people who may have come into contact with the patient, while screening has been strengthened at high-risk entry points.
WHO said Kenya had already been preparing for the threat after Ebola outbreaks were reported in the region earlier in 2026.
By October 6, more than 652,000 travellers had been screened in Kenya, while 267 suspected samples had been tested, with only one returning positive. Nearly 5,000 health workers had also received training in Ebola prevention and management.
Kenya Had Prepared for the Outbreak
WHO said Kenya’s preparedness score had improved from 66 per cent in May to 82 per cent in July.
Isolation units in 27 high-risk counties had been identified and assessed, while additional Ebola testing kits and protective equipment had been supplied to the country.
The organisation said about 1,000 Ebola tests and 1,000 personal protective equipment kits had been delivered to high-risk counties.
What Kenyans Need to Know
Bundibugyo virus disease is a serious illness that can spread through direct contact with the blood or body fluids of an infected person or contaminated materials.
Symptoms can include fever, tiredness, headache, muscle pain, vomiting and diarrhoea, while severe illness may involve bleeding.
WHO has advised against unnecessary travel or trade restrictions but continues to support surveillance and response measures across the affected countries.
Kenyan health authorities are meanwhile urging members of the public to remain alert, practise good hand hygiene and seek medical attention after developing symptoms following possible exposure.
The immediate priority remains identifying contacts, monitoring them and detecting any additional cases quickly so that further transmission can be prevented.
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