U.S. Embassy Warns of Possible Data Breach in Kenya Ebola Screening Travellers

U.S. Embassy Warns of Possible Data Breach in Kenya Ebola Screening Travellers

The United States Embassy in Nairobi has warned travellers of a possible data breach involving personal information collected during Ebola screening at Kenyan points of entry.

The warning affects people who may have undergone screening after arriving in Kenya from countries listed by the embassy as part of enhanced Ebola screening measures. Potentially exposed information includes travellers’ names, passport numbers and health information collected during the screening process.

In a security alert issued on Friday, September 25, the US Embassy said it could not establish whether individual travellers’ information was among the data potentially affected.

“The U.S. Embassy is unable to confirm if an individual’s data is part of the breach.”

The embassy did not disclose the number of people who could be affected or explain when the suspected breach occurred. It also did not provide details on whether the information was accessed, copied, transferred or released to an unauthorised party.

Travellers Who Could Be Affected

According to the alert, the potentially affected group includes travellers who entered Kenya from Angola, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda or Zambia after enhanced screening began towards the end of May 2026.

The information was collected as part of health screening measures introduced amid concerns over the spread of Ebola in the region.

The warning comes as health authorities continue monitoring the Ebola situation in Central and East Africa. The United States has separately announced additional support for the international response to the ongoing Ebola outbreak, including funding for treatment facilities, diagnostics and frontline health workers.

The embassy said the Kenyan government was aware of the suspected breach and was expected to provide additional information as investigations progressed.

“The government of Kenya is aware of the data breach and will provide more information as it becomes available.”

The embassy did not identify the system or institution where the suspected breach occurred.

Personal and Health Data Involved

The incident has raised concerns because the information collected during health screening can combine ordinary identification details with sensitive health-related information.

Such information may include details provided by travellers when responding to questions about their travel history or possible exposure to infectious diseases.

The US Embassy advised potentially affected travellers to follow further updates from the Kenyan authorities. It also directed people seeking general information about data breaches to guidance provided by the US Federal Trade Commission.

The warning does not, however, confirm that all travellers who unde

Kenya Faces Growing Cyber Threats

The possible breach comes against a wider backdrop of increasing cyber threats targeting Kenya’s digital systems.

The Communications Authority of Kenya, through the National Kenya Computer Incident Response Team Coordination Centre, monitors and responds to cyber threats affecting the country around the clock. The agency coordinates cybersecurity responses with government institutions, law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders.

The Authority’s latest cybersecurity reports show that Kenya continues to face large volumes of cyber threat activity. Between October and December 2025, more than 4.5 billion cyber threat events were detected, representing a 441.27 per cent increase from the previous quarter.

The CA has previously warned organisations and members of the public about the importance of protecting personal information, strengthening passwords, applying security updates and using measures such as multi-factor authentication.

For travellers potentially affected by the latest incident, the key issue remains whether their individual information was actually accessed or exposed.

The US Embassy has not confirmed that any specific traveller’s information was compromised, while further details are expected from Kenyan authorities as investigations into the suspected breach continue.

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U.S. Embassy Warns of Possible Data Breach in Kenya Ebola Screening Travellers