Kenyan activists on Monday accused authorities of violating a court order that halted the setup of an American-backed Ebola quarantine center, following reports that Americans were being quarantined in the country. The facility was intended to house U.S. personnel evacuated from the Democratic Republic of Congo, where an Ebola outbreak has resulted in over 930 deaths among 2,344 confirmed cases.
Samaritan’s Purse, a U.S. humanitarian organization, stated over the weekend that seven of its American staff members from Congo were undergoing a 21-day quarantine in Kenya, though none have exhibited symptoms of Ebola. The organization did not disclose the quarantine location, but local media reports indicated that military tents at Laikipia Air Base, approximately 115 miles north of Nairobi, would serve as the U.S.-backed facility. Residents near the base have protested the center, with some demonstrations escalating to violence.
Neither Kenya’s Ministry of Health nor the U.S. State Department responded to requests for comment. Laikipia Air Base was also unreachable for comment. Kenya, which is geographically separated from Congo by Uganda and has no confirmed Ebola cases, is a key U.S. ally in Africa. The U.S. has committed $13.5 million to Kenya’s Ebola preparedness efforts.
Kenyan President William Ruto has defended the planned U.S.-backed quarantine facility as part of a partnership with the U.S. He also indicated plans to establish 24 additional Ebola preparedness centers nationwide with U.S. funding. However, a Kenyan court issued an order last month barring the operationalization of the facility, and Health Minister Aden Duale later suspended its construction.
The Law Society of Kenya and the lobby group Katiba Institute had petitioned against the quarantine center, arguing that Kenya’s health system could be overwhelmed if an Ebola outbreak occurred. Nora Mbagathi, chief of Katiba Institute, expressed concern over the reports of Americans already being quarantined in Kenya, stating that any Kenyan government official involved would have betrayed public trust and should be held accountable.
The Law Society of Kenya issued a statement on Monday, calling a deliberate violation of the court order "impunity and lawlessness." Samaritan’s Purse confirmed its staff had been on the front lines of the Ebola response in Congo, operating two treatment centers. The organization's president and CEO, Franklin Graham, stated that the staff were housed in military tents and provided food by the U.S. military, but did not explain why the quarantine was operational in Kenya despite the court order.