Key facts
- An American-backed Ebola quarantine center is reportedly operational in Kenya, despite a court ban.
- Activists accuse Kenyan authorities of violating the court order.
- Seven American staff from Samaritan's Purse are confirmed to be quarantined in Kenya.
- The facility is reportedly located at Laikipia Air Base.
- The quarantine is for individuals evacuated from Congo due to an Ebola outbreak.
- Kenyan President William Ruto has defended the facility's establishment.
Kenyan activists on Monday accused authorities of violating a court order by operating an American-backed Ebola quarantine center for evacuees from Congo. The center, reportedly housing U.S. aid workers from the humanitarian organization Samaritan’s Purse, is said to be located at Laikipia Air Base, approximately 185 kilometers north of Nairobi.
Samaritan’s Purse confirmed that seven of its American staff, who had been working on the front lines of the Ebola response in Congo, were being quarantined in "large military tents" for 21 days in Kenya. The organization stated that none of the staff have shown symptoms of Ebola and that their food is being provided by the U.S. military.
A Kenyan court issued an order last month halting the establishment of the facility, following a petition by the Law Society of Kenya and the Katiba Institute. These groups argued that Kenya's health system could be overwhelmed by such a facility. Despite the court order and protests from local residents in Nanyuki, near the air base, activists claim the center is operational.
Kenyan President William Ruto has defended the planned facility as part of a partnership with the U.S. and noted plans for 24 additional Ebola preparedness centers across the country, funded by the U.S. However, activists, including Nora Mbagathi of the Katiba Institute, expressed concern over potential involvement of Kenyan government officials in violating the court order, calling it a betrayal of public trust.
Both Kenya’s Ministry of Health and the U.S. State Department did not respond to requests for comment regarding the quarantine or the alleged violation of the court order. The Law Society of Kenya stated that a deliberate violation of a court order would constitute "impunity and lawlessness."