A Kenyan High Court on May 29 temporarily suspended plans to establish a US-run Ebola quarantine and treatment center at Laikipia Air Base, about 120-200 km north of Nairobi [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
The facility was designed to have 50 isolation beds to quarantine Americans potentially exposed to Ebola from the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) [1, 2]. The Ebola outbreak has killed over 200 people and spread to Uganda, though Kenya has reported no confirmed cases but has increased screening and preparedness due to regional risks [3, 5, 6].
The court barred admitting anyone exposed to or infected with Ebola into Kenya under this plan until the legal challenge is resolved [4, 5]. The Katiba Institute, a Kenyan rights NGO, filed the challenge citing constitutional and public health concerns. The group said, "The secretive, unilateral establishment of an Ebola quarantine facility raises grave constitutional concerns regarding the rights to life, health, fair administrative action, public participation, and parliamentary oversight" [2].
The US government confirmed the plan and said it is working with Kenyan authorities to address concerns. A statement from the office of Jeremy P. Lewin said, "We are aware of the court action filed in Kenya against the Ebola isolation facility. We are in touch with Kenyan authorities and are optimistic we can resolve objections" [1, 6]. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US intends to commit $13.5 million toward Kenya’s Ebola preparedness efforts [3].
The legal challenge is scheduled for a hearing on June 2 at the Kenyan High Court [4]. The suspension blocks any Ebola quarantine operations at Laikipia Air Base ahead of that date.
The US government first developed the plan by May 28 or earlier to establish the quarantine facility for exposed Americans traveling from the DRC outbreak zone [2]. The ongoing Ebola crisis and cross-border risks prompted the containment efforts, though Kenya has not recorded any cases related to this outbreak.
The court order and legal process will determine whether the quarantine facility proceeds as planned or requires adjustments based on Kenyan constitutional and public health law.
