Kenyan Court Blocks US-Backed Ebola Quarantine Facility Plan

(MENAFN) A Kenyan court has halted a US-supported proposal to establish an Ebola quarantine facility at Laikipia Air Base, citing potential public health risks and legal concerns.

The High Court ruling temporarily stops the construction of a facility intended to manage Americans who may have been exposed to Ebola, amid ongoing concerns about the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo).

The decision followed a petition filed by the Katiba Institute, which argued that establishing such a center in Kenya could pose a serious health threat, particularly as the country has not reported any Ebola cases. The court classified the application as urgent, accepting arguments that there could be an “imminent threat to life” if the project proceeded without review.

The ruling prevents Kenyan authorities from “establishing, operationalising, facilitating, approving or permitting … any Ebola exposure, quarantine, isolation or treatment facility” under agreements with the United States or other foreign governments.

The move comes shortly after the US government announced a $13.5 million initiative aimed at strengthening Ebola preparedness in Kenya, in response to rising infections in parts of Central and East Africa.

Separately, US authorities have introduced additional travel and entry restrictions to reduce the risk of cross-border transmission, limiting access for foreign nationals who have recently been in affected countries while directing returning citizens through designated entry points for screening and monitoring.

The case highlights growing tensions between public health preparedness initiatives and domestic legal and sovereignty concerns in host countries.

MENAFN02062026000045017281ID1111198988