Kenyan rights group files court petition against planned US Ebola facility in Kenya over public health concerns

A Kenyan rights group has filed a court petition challenging plans to establish a quarantine facility for United States nationals exposed to Ebola in the East African country.

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Katiba Institute announced on Thursday that it had asked the court to halt operations at the proposed centre and prevent the entry of individuals potentially exposed to the virus.

The petition followed confirmation by a US administration official that Washington was constructing a “state-of-the-art” quarantine facility in Kenya for American citizens leaving the Democratic Republic of Congo, where authorities are battling a major Ebola outbreak.

Katiba Institute argued that the proposed US Ebola facility in Kenya was being established secretly and without adequate public consultation, raising what it described as serious constitutional and public health concerns.

Nora Mbagathi, executive director of the rights group, said the case was aimed at protecting constitutional accountability and public safety.

“The case is about preserving constitutional accountability, protecting public health and ensuring that no government may place expediency above the lives and safety of the people of Kenya,” Nora Mbagathi said.

Concerns over the controversial plan also drew attention from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

Jean Kaseya, director-general of the Africa CDC, warned during a press briefing that the facility could place additional strain on Kenya’s already pressured healthcare system if adequate support was not provided.

Jean Kaseya said assuming international quarantine responsibilities for foreign nationals could stretch Kenya’s national health capacities.

Kenya has intensified health screening for travellers arriving from affected regions but has not recorded any confirmed Ebola case linked to the current outbreak.

The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union strongly condemned the proposal, accusing the government of conducting “backdoor negotiations” with the United States.

The union gave Kenyan authorities 48 hours to publicly disclose details of the arrangement or risk industrial action by medical workers.

“We are utterly disgusted by the government’s apparent willingness to trade national biosecurity and the lives of its citizens for foreign aid,” the union said in a powerful statement.

Davji Bhimji Atella, secretary-general of the union, questioned why Kenya should accept a responsibility considered too risky elsewhere.

“If it is too dangerous for America, it is too dangerous for Kenya,” Davji Bhimji Atella said.

Kenya’s Ministry of Health has stated that the country remains open to cooperation with international partners, including the United States, although officials have not directly addressed concerns surrounding the quarantine facility.

The dispute comes amid growing regional anxiety over the Ebola outbreak affecting parts of Central and East Africa.

The World Health Organisation has recorded 10 confirmed and 223 suspected Ebola deaths in the Democratic Republic of Congo since the outbreak was declared in mid-May. More than 1,000 confirmed and suspected cases have also been reported.

Uganda, which borders both the Democratic Republic of Congo and Kenya, has confirmed at least seven Ebola cases linked to the outbreak.

Also read: Uganda Confirms New Ebola Cases Amid Outbreak

Health experts have warned that the Bundibugyo strain responsible for the current outbreak remains especially dangerous because there is presently no approved vaccine or treatment for the variant.