A Kenyan businessman was able to spend time in one of the regions worst-affected by Ebola, then travel to two more countries before his illness was identified. The 40-year-old, who was only diagnosed with the deadly infectious disease after arriving seriously ill at a Nairobi hospital, became Kenya’s first confirmed case. He died two days later on 5 October.
According to Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, the businessman had been living and working in the Democratic Republic of Congo for seven years and developed symptoms around mid-September in Bas-Uélé Province. He presented with fever and skin rash at health facilities in Bondo and Kisangani, where he was diagnosed with staphylococcal skin infection and given antibiotics, but Ebola was not suspected. His condition failed to improve despite spending over 11 days receiving care.
Details reconstructed by Africa CDC emergency preparedness chief Wessam Mankoula show the patient travelled extensively before diagnosis. He moved by road from Buta to Kisangani, took a domestic flight to Beni in North Kivu, an Ebola-affected region, then crossed into Uganda at Kasindi on October 1 despite border restrictions. He continued by public transport to Kampala, proceeded to Entebbe International Airport and boarded a Jambojet flight to Nairobi on October 3.
Despite undergoing airport health screening in both Uganda and Kenya at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, he was not identified as a suspected case. Kenyan health authorities said medication may have masked his symptoms and thermal scanners failed to detect fever. On arrival, a relative drove him straight to Nairobi Hospital where he presented with fever, chills, intense fatigue, muscle pain, painful swallowing, sore throat and bleeding under the skin at injection sites. Samples tested positive for Bundibugyo Ebola virus disease.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale confirmed the death at about 11:30 pm on October 5, saying a safe and dignified burial was conducted under public health standards. Kenya has identified 122 contacts including family members, healthcare workers, 23 passengers and four crew from the flight, with 108 in quarantine. None have tested positive so far, but 14 contacts remain untraced, raising concerns about regional surveillance gaps.
DRC declared its 17th Ebola outbreak in May, with over 4,000 deaths recorded this year in what is described as the second deadliest outbreak. Africa CDC has deployed a team to Kenya, with Director General Jean Kaseya expected to visit, while Ghana Health Service has issued an alert to heighten border screening following Kenya’s first imported case.
Call or WhatsApp +233 20 2190 250 and share your story. Author: Stella Sunu
