Jambojet is working closely with the Ministry of Health, Port Health Services and other relevant authorities in tracing the 23 passengers and four crew members of the flight that transported Kenya’s first Ebola patient.

In a statement, the airline said it will also facilitate the identification and management of the other guests and crew at flight JM 8523 from Entebbe to Nairobi on Saturday, October 3, who may have been in contact with the Ebola patient who died while undergoing treatment on Monday, October 5 night.

“The health and safety of our guests, crew and staff remains our highest priority.” Jambo Jet said. “We will continue to provide updates as and when it becomes available. We urge our guests and the public to rely on official information from our verified social media platforms @FlyJambojet and the relevant health authorities.”

He lived in DRC

According to the Ministry of Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, the patient was a Kenyan who had been living in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for the past seven years. He reportedly 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 the Jambojet flight, 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.”

So far, the Ministry of Health has listed 28 contacts of the deceased, including family members and healthcare workers who attended to the deceased. The Ministry is also pursuing the 23 passengers and four crew members who were on the same flight with the deceased.

The CS said that arrangements for the quarantine of those who came in contact with the deceased and at risk has been prepared.