Kenya Court Extends Suspension of U.S. Ebola Facility as Protests Leave Two Dead
A Kenyan court on Tuesday extended for another three weeks its suspension of a planned U.S. Ebola quarantine facility, as protests against the facility turned deadly. Two people were killed in the demonstrations, which have erupted in the central town of Nanyuki over fears that the United States is outsourcing health risks to Kenya.
High Court Judge Patricia Nyaundi ordered the Kenyan government to disclose all agreements and operational protocols related to the 50-bed unit within seven days, and scheduled the next hearing for June 23. The facility, proposed for an air force base in Nanyuki, was intended to house Americans exposed to the Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo or Uganda.
The court’s action came a day after hundreds of protesters clashed with police in Nanyuki. Protest organiser Patrick Wahome said police opened fire during the demonstrations, killing two people. A security source also confirmed two deaths but declined to specify the cause. Police spokesperson Michael Muchiri said he was not aware of any fatalities.
The proposed facility has sparked widespread anger among Kenyans, who accuse the U.S. of offloading the burden of caring for Ebola patients. Despite the court-ordered suspension, U.S. military aircraft have continued to fly staff and equipment into the country in recent days, according to a U.S. official and diplomatic sources.
President William Ruto defended the agreement on Monday, saying the facility was part of Kenya’s national preparedness plan and a long-standing health partnership with Washington. “We are a responsible government. We know what we are doing,” Ruto said, noting that the site would serve Kenyans and foreign nationals alike.
The Trump administration last week announced $13.5 million in aid for Kenya’s Ebola preparedness. However, a U.S. official speaking on condition of anonymity told Reuters that the facility would treat only U.S. citizens. “American officials, doctors, and clinicians will be at this facility, treating American citizens at the facility. Our highest priority is containing the spread of Ebola and offering the highest clinical care to Americans,” the official said.
The decision drew sharp criticism from activists, who accuse the government of ignoring court orders. Kenyan courts have a reputation for independence, particularly compared with other regional judiciaries, but activists say the executive branch often circumvents rulings.
The Ebola outbreak, caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain, is concentrated in eastern Congo, with cases spilling into Uganda. The World Health Organization reported 321 confirmed cases and 116 suspected cases in Congo, including 48 deaths, as of Tuesday. Uganda has confirmed 15 cases.
Unlike during the 2014-2016 West Africa outbreak, when several infected Americans were treated on U.S. soil, the Trump administration has said it “cannot and will not allow” any cases to enter the country. A U.S. missionary who contracted Ebola in the DRC was recently evacuated to Germany, along with five others. Another person was taken to the Czech Republic.
The Nanyuki facility is designed to receive asymptomatic Americans exposed to the virus. Patients who develop symptoms would be transferred to other countries for treatment, U.S. officials have said.