Kenya has ordered a halt to all preparations for the construction of a US-run Ebola isolation facility, Health Minister Aden Duale told a court on Tuesday (22 June). The announcement came just one day after he was found in contempt of court for ignoring previous suspension orders issued in late May and early June.
“I have directed the immediate and total cessation of all construction, site preparation or any activities related to the facility at Laikipia Air Base until the formal hearing is held or until further order of the court,” Duale said.
The planned 50-bed isolation facility, to be located at Laikipia Air Base about 200 km north of the capital Nairobi, was intended to be run by US medical personnel as part of a plan to evacuate potential US citizens from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which is facing a severe Ebola outbreak.
The project has drawn strong opposition from Kenyans, particularly in the medical community. Human rights organizations filed a lawsuit arguing the project was being rolled out secretly without community consultation. Doctors and health workers warned the facility could threaten Kenya’s already fragile health system.
At least three people have been killed in violent protests near the Laikipia area. Residents and health workers expressed anger over the potential for the virus to enter the country and criticized the Kenyan government for accepting $13.5 million in US funding for Ebola preparedness, calling it a sop to mask underlying health risks. To date, Kenya has not recorded any Ebola cases.
According to the DRC Ministry of Health, as of 22 June, the Ebola outbreak there had recorded 1,048 confirmed cases and at least 267 deaths. At least 75 health workers in the DRC have been infected, including 17 who died. Neighboring Uganda has also reported 20 confirmed cases, including two deaths.
