By Zamzam Daqare - Reporter
MOGADISHU, 12 October 2026 — Somalia’s federal government has quarantined a Somali citizen who travelled with a Kenyan national reported to have died of Ebola in Nairobi, the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare said on Monday.
In a statement issued on Monday, the ministry said the citizen was safely placed under quarantine at 11:00 a.m. and transferred to the Ebola Quarantine and Treatment Centre at Forlanini Hospital in Mogadishu for a medical assessment.
The ministry said Somalia’s International Health Regulations (IHR) office received an official notification from its Ugandan counterpart on 10 October concerning the Somali citizen and a Kenyan national who had travelled from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) through Uganda.
According to information provided by Ugandan authorities, the two individuals stayed at the same hotel and shared a vehicle to Entebbe International Airport in Uganda.
They subsequently travelled to different destinations. The Somali citizen arrived in Mogadishu via Addis Ababa, while the Kenyan national travelled to Kenya and was confirmed to have died in Nairobi on 5 October 2026. The notification said the death was reportedly linked to Ebola.
The Health Ministry said the information received from Uganda included the Somali citizen’s name, passport number, flight details and seat number, helping authorities trace the individual.
Following an emergency meeting held by the ministry’s leadership on 11 October, immigration authorities were asked to verify the citizen’s entry into Somalia and current whereabouts.
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The Immigration Agency confirmed that the citizen had arrived at Mogadishu airport on 3 October 2026 after completing standard immigration procedures.
The ministry said a joint investigation and tracing operation lasting nearly 24 hours, involving the Immigration Agency, Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Ministry of Health and National Institute of Health (NIH), resulted in the citizen being safely placed under quarantine.
The Health Ministry designated Forlanini Hospital as the facility responsible for managing Ebola-related cases, where medical teams are assessing the citizen’s health, contact history and the next appropriate medical steps.
Authorities are also verifying the individual’s movements and tracing people who may have had contact with the citizen since their arrival in Somalia.
The ministry stressed that the quarantine was a precautionary public health measure and did not mean the citizen had tested positive for Ebola or that the disease was spreading within the Somali community.
People who had contact with the citizen were urged to contact health teams by calling 995 or sending a WhatsApp message to +252 61 022 4623 for assessment and follow-up where necessary.
The ministry also urged the public to avoid spreading unverified information and to rely on its official communication channels for updates, saying it would provide further information as the situation develops.