It is a sigh of relief for Wajir County and the country at large after samples of a 20-year-old suspected Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) patient reported at Habaswein Sub-County Hospital returned negative for the deadly virus.
The suspected patient was a 20-year-old man with a travel history from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) through Uganda to Kenya.
Because of his clinical presentation and travel history, the county health teams and the doctors who attended to him acted swiftly and in line with established public health protocols on Ebola.
Blood samples were collected and referred to the National Public Health Virology Laboratory in Nairobi for Ebola testing.
“I am pleased to report that the preliminary laboratory results indicate that the sample is NEGATIVE for Ebola Virus Disease,” Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi said in a statement.
According to the county boss, the negative results are reassuring, maintaining that the Wajir County Department of Health and the Ministry of Health (MOH) will continue to monitor the patient and provide appropriate medical care.
“I commend the health workers at Hahaswein Sub-County Hospital, the County Department of Medical Services, Public Health and Sanitation, and our partners at the national level for their vigilance, professionalism and quick response,” he noted. “Their action demonstrates that Wajir County is ready and able to respond to public health threats.”
He further urged residents to remain calm and avoid sharing unverified information, which can cause unnecessary fear and panic. “Please rely only on official communication from the County Government of Wajir and the Ministry of Health. Anyone who notices unusual signs of illness is encouraged to report promptly to the nearest health facility.”
Kenya’s first Ebola case
The suspected case in Wajir was reported days after Kenya confirmed its first case of the deadly Ebola Virus Disease.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale on Tuesday, October 6 said the patient was a Kenyan who had been living in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for the past seven years.
Reports indicate that the patient fell ill about a month ago and was treated in several hospitals while still in DRC.
The patient, CS Duale said, would later travell from DRC to Kampala, Uganda, by road, before boarding a Jambo Jet flight No. 8523, arriving in Nairobi on Saturday, October 3, 2026, at around 1:10pm.
“He underwent the normal public health screening at the Port Health at JKIA. He passed through the immigration desk and was transported by a relative and friend in a Toyota Fielder directly from JKIA to Nairobi Hospital, where he was isolated in a separate room at the Accdent and Emergency area within the hospotal,” Duale said in a press conference.
The patient was later tranfered to the Eastwing Isolation Facility within the hospital.
“The facility was birthed during COVID-19 and it has all the infrastructure, including the HDU, ICU and over 145 beds…. I am ready to take the media this afternoon to go and see that high-end facility,” Daule added.
At the isolation facility, the patient presented with fever, intense fatigue, weakness, muscle pain, soar throats, painful swallowing and bleeding under the skin at the injection site. Based on this symptoms and his history of travel to DRC, the doctors considered his case as that of a viral haemorrgic fever. Samples were collected for testing, which turned positive for Ebola Bundibugyo Virus Disease.
“The patient was given supportive treatment but regrettably pased on last night at around 11:30pm,” Daule noted. “Arrangement for safe and dignified burial of the deceased are ongoing. The burial is planned for later today inline with the ebola safe and dignified public health protocols.”
