The United States government has broken its silence after the High Court temporarily suspended the establishment of an American Ebola quarantine facility at Laikipia Air Base.
In a statement on Saturday, May 30, President Donald Trump’s administration acknowledged the court action and said it was engaging Kenyan authorities to address concerns raised over the project.
“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,” the U.S. government said.
The response came shortly after Justice Patricia Nyaundi issued conservatory orders halting the establishment of any Ebola exposure, quarantine, isolation, or treatment facility by the U.S. government or any foreign agency in Kenya.
The court also prohibited the admission, transfer, reception, or facilitation of entry into Kenya of any individual exposed to or infected with Ebola under the reported arrangement, pending the hearing and determination of the case.
The orders followed an urgent petition filed by the Katiba Institute at the Milimani Law Courts. The constitutional lobby group argued that the proposed facility raises significant constitutional, public health, and national security concerns that require judicial scrutiny before implementation.
Justice Nyaundi certified the matter as urgent and directed respondents to file their responses within 48 hours of being served with the petitioner granted leave to file a supplementary affidavit within one day after receiving the responses.
The court further warned that any violation of the conservatory orders would incur penal consequences for individuals or institutions found in contempt of the directive.
According to reports, the proposed facility was expected to become operational within a week, with initial plans indicating it would be a 50-bed field hospital.
The facility was also expected to be staffed by personnel from the U.S. Public Health Service, with teams reportedly undergoing specialised training at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland ahead of deployment to Kenya.
Meanwhile, the latest development comes days after a phone call between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and President William Ruto on Thursday, May 28, during which the two leaders discussed the ongoing Ebola outbreak and coordination efforts between Kenya and the United States.
During the phone call, Marco Rubio announced the U.S. government’s commitment of approximately Ksh1.74 billion to support Ebola preparedness efforts in Kenya-Kenyans.co.ke.
