A Kenyan High Court judge on Friday temporarily suspended a controversial United States plan to open a 50-bed Ebola quarantine facility for American citizens inside Kenya. The ruling comes amid fierce national backlash from local healthcare unions and human rights activists over public safety risks and national sovereignty.
High Court Judge Patricia Nyaundi barred the Kenyan government from establishing, facilitating, or operating any foreign-run Ebola containment centre. Her emergency order also explicitly prohibits the country from admitting any individuals exposed to or infected with the virus under the proposed U.S. arrangement until the case is formally heard on June 2, 2026.
The legal challenge was mounted by the Katiba Institute, a prominent Kenyan constitutional rights group, alongside the Kenya Law Society. Activists argued that the deal was negotiated in complete secrecy without required legislative oversight or public consultation.
The diplomatic friction began earlier this week when U.S. officials revealed plans to build the isolation unit at Kenya’s Laikipia Air Base. The center was designed to intercept and monitor American nationals exposed to a rising outbreak of the rare Bundibugyo ebolavirus strain currently spreading through the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. Under Washington's strict biosecurity strategy, exposed citizens would be held in East Africa, and any who developed active symptoms would be routed to a third country rather than returning to U.S. soil.
The strategy sparked immediate fury from local medical professionals. The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union issued a 48-hour strike notice demanding full transparency, accusing the state of compromising national biosecurity in exchange for international funding.
While Kenyan President William Ruto has not directly addressed the physical facility, he defended international health alliances following a meeting with foreign diplomats. Ruto noted that public health threats do not respect borders and demand coordinated global action.
To support regional containment, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced a $13.5 million aid package dedicated specifically to bolstering Kenya’s domestic Ebola preparedness. However, the Law Society of Kenya countered in its filing that the country entirely lacks the specialised high-containment infrastructure required to safely manage a lethal pathogen facility, keeping the project on ice until next week's hearing.