Kenya Court Order Keeps US-Backed Ebola Facility on Hold After Minister Held in Contempt

Kenya has halted construction of a US-backed Ebola isolation facility after its High Court found Health Minister Aden Duale in contempt of court, Euronews reported. On Tuesday, Duale told the court that he had ordered the immediate and complete cessation of construction and related activities at the site pending the outcome of a legal challenge.

The planned 50-bed quarantine and isolation centre is located at Laikipia Air Base near Nanyuki, around 200 kilometres north of Nairobi.

It was intended to house US citizens who may have been exposed to Ebola during response operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo and other affected countries. The High Court ordered the government on 28 May to stop work on the project until it could hear a petition brought by rights group Katiba Institute.

Judge Patricia Nyaundi stated that in commissioning the ongoing construction of the facility at Laikipia, the 2nd respondent is in continuing contempt of the orders of the court.

Duale appeared before the court, apologised, and denied intentionally defying the judiciary. The government argued that it believed the court order applied only to the proposed partnership with the United States and not to broader Ebola preparedness measures.

Public anger over the project led to demonstrations in Laikipia County, where at least three people have died during protests linked to the facility.

The future of the project will now depend on the outcome of the court case and whether the government can obtain legal approval to restart construction.