Kenya Quarantines Ten After First Ebola Case, Scrutinizing Screening Protocols

Wed Oct 07 2026 22:21:01 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Kenya has quarantined ten contacts of the nation's first Ebola case, sparking concerns over airport checks and border screenings amid growing public worry.

Kenya’s Ministry of Health quarantined ten people linked to the country’s first confirmed Ebola case, prompting officials to trace an additional 57 contacts. The patient, who travelled from the Democratic Republic of Congo to Nairobi, died in hospital on Monday. The incident has raised alarms about the effectiveness of airport and border checks, with the Africa CDC noting the patient slipped through despite passing several checkpoints. President William Ruto confirmed that rapid response teams and extensive screenings are in place, and four hospitals, including Nairobi Hospital, have been designated for Ebola care.

Kenya has quarantined a group of ten people who had contact with the first confirmed case of Ebola in the country, according to the Ministry of Health.

The patient, a Kenyan man who had travelled from the Democratic Republic of Congo earlier in the week, died at a Nairobi hospital on Monday. Health officials said they are tracing an additional 57 contacts and monitoring them closely.

Since the outbreak began across the Congo in May, the region has been on high alert. The Kenyan case raised concerns that airport and border checkpoints are not picking up travellers who are symptomatic, despite screening protocols.

"He was carrying the virus for weeks and passed through several cities in DRC, Uganda and finally Nairobi, yet he slipped through at main entry points," said Jean Kaseya, chief of the Africa Centres for Disease Control.

Kenyan president William Ruto has confirmed that rapid response teams are active and that more than 650,000 travellers have been screened. The ministry also said four hospitals, including Nairobi Hospital, have been earmarked for Ebola care.