A Kenyan court has temporarily blocked plans by the United States to establish an Ebola quarantine facility in the country, amid growing public concern over the risk of importing infections from the regional outbreak.
The proposed 50-bed isolation centre, reportedly intended for US citizens exposed to Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, was due to begin operations on Friday with American medical staff overseeing the facility.
However, Kenya’s High Court ruled that no foreign government can establish or operate an Ebola-related quarantine or treatment centre in the country until a legal challenge is heard.
The case was brought by rights organisation Katiba Institute, which argued that the plan posed “grave and imminent risks” to public health. The court also barred authorities from allowing entry to Ebola-exposed or infected individuals under any such arrangement.
The move follows mounting criticism from Kenyan lawmakers, medical unions and members of the public, many of whom questioned why Kenya should host a facility linked to a deadly outbreak centred in eastern DR Congo.
Reports suggesting the centre could be located in Laikipia county triggered protests from local politicians, who demanded transparency from the government over any agreements reached with Washington.
Kenya’s largest doctors’ union accused the government of engaging in “backdoor negotiations” and warned against turning the country into a “containment colony” for Ebola patients.
The union also criticised reports that the facility would be staffed by US personnel rather than Kenyan health workers, threatening nationwide industrial action if authorities fail to disclose details of the arrangement.
The Ebola outbreak in DR Congo has so far resulted in more than 900 suspected infections and at least 220 deaths, according to officials, while neighbouring Uganda has also reported cases.
Despite the controversy, Kenyan President William Ruto defended international cooperation on public health emergencies, saying diseases such as Ebola require coordinated global action.
