Nairobi, October 10, 2026 — Kenya’s Ministry of Health has suspended all government meetings, seminars and conferences scheduled to take place in hotels with immediate effect, following confirmation of the country’s first imported case of Bundibugyo Ebola virus disease.
Mary Muthoni’s memo suspends hotel-based gatherings
Principal Secretary for Public Health and Professional Standards Mary Muthoni issued the directive in an internal memo dated Wednesday, October 7, 2026. She instructed heads of directorates, divisions and programmes to halt such gatherings until further notice.
Departments seeking exceptions must first obtain approval from her office.
“Following confirmation of an imported case of Bundibugyo virus disease, the State Department is prioritising emergency preparedness, contact tracing and response measures,” the memo stated. “Accordingly, all meetings, seminars and conferences scheduled to be held in hotels are suspended with immediate effect from Wednesday, 7th October 2026, until further notice.”
Speaking to Kenyans.co.ke on Saturday, October 10, PS Muthoni said the government is increasing observations and preparing for any eventualities as health teams focus on containing the threat.
Imported Bundibugyo Ebola case and hospital isolation
The suspension follows the Ministry of Health’s confirmation on October 6 of Kenya’s first imported Bundibugyo Ebola case. The patient was a Kenyan citizen who had lived in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for seven years.
He fell ill about a month earlier, received treatment at several facilities in the DRC, then travelled by road to Kampala before boarding Jambojet flight 8523. He arrived at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi on Saturday, October 3, at approximately 1:10 p.m., underwent routine public health screening, and was taken by a relative and friend to Nairobi Hospital.
At the hospital he was isolated after presenting with fever, chills, intense fatigue, muscle pain, painful swallowing, sore throat and bleeding under the skin at injection sites. Samples tested positive for Bundibugyo virus at both the National Virology Reference Laboratory and the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI).
He received supportive treatment but died on the night of October 5. Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale confirmed the case and said arrangements were underway for a safe and dignified burial under Ebola protocols.
Contact tracing and tighter government health protocols
Contact tracing was launched immediately. Officials identified 57 people who may have come into contact with the patient, including passengers and crew from the flight.
Quarantine arrangements were put in place for those considered at risk.
The development has prompted tighter health protocols across government. Images from State House on Friday, October 9, showed Cabinet Secretaries sanitising their hands before a Cabinet meeting chaired by President William Ruto.
Earlier in the week, guests at a National Industrial Training Authority graduation ceremony held on the State House grounds underwent health screenings.
Heightened surveillance and official public updates
Kenya has maintained heightened surveillance since the Bundibugyo outbreak began in the DRC in May 2026. As of October 6, authorities had screened more than 652,000 travellers and tested 267 samples across five laboratories, including mobile labs at the Busia and Lwakhakha border points.
No local transmission has been reported; officials have described the case as imported rather than an outbreak within Kenya.
PS Muthoni and other officials have urged the public to remain calm, avoid panic, practise good hygiene, and rely on official Ministry of Health updates. The toll-free information line is 719.
The suspension of hotel-based government gatherings is part of broader efforts to reduce unnecessary close-contact settings while response teams complete contact tracing and strengthen preparedness.