Kenyan health authorities confirmed the country's first case of Ebola on Tuesday after a Kenyan citizen who had lived in the Democratic Republic of Congo for seven years died in Nairobi.

Health Minister Aden Duale announced the case at a press conference. The patient had fallen ill about a month earlier and received treatment at multiple hospitals in Congo before traveling by road to Kampala, Uganda, and then boarding a Jambojet flight to Nairobi on Saturday. He arrived in the Kenyan capital that afternoon and was isolated at Nairobi Hospital after developing symptoms consistent with hemorrhagic fever.

The patient tested positive for Ebola and died late Monday. Authorities buried him on Tuesday in line with public health safety protocols.

Health officials have identified 28 contacts in Kenya, including family members and health workers who cared for the patient. They are also tracing 23 additional passengers and crew from the flight. All contacts will remain in isolation for 21 days and will be released only after testing negative.

Kenya has placed border points on high alert and increased surveillance at airports. The health ministry reported that it has tested 267 samples at five laboratories across the country since the Congo outbreak began, with this marking the first positive result.

The current Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo, caused by the rare Bundibugyo species, was declared in mid-May and represents the second-largest such epidemic on record. It has infected more than 8,000 people and caused over 4,000 deaths. Uganda reported 20 cases and two deaths earlier this year but was declared Ebola-free in August. France recorded one case linked to the outbreak.

Kenya is now the fourth country to confirm a case tied to the Congo epidemic. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention is sending a high-level team to support response efforts.

Ebola spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids of infected individuals, living or dead. Kenyan officials stated the country is prepared to manage the situation and contain any further transmission.