The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) President Charles Kanjama has urged the government to reject any proposal that would see an Ebola treatment centre set up in Kenya to handle patients flown in from other countries, saying the facility should instead be established closer to the epicentre of any outbreak.
In a post on X, Kanjama said Kenya should take “robust measures” to prevent Ebola cases from entering the country, including declining what he described as a request by the United States government to establish an Ebola Treatment Centre in Kenya.
“That includes declining the request by the US Government to set up an Ebola Treatment Centre in Kenya where Ebola patients from other countries will be flown in,” he said.
Kanjama argued that while Ebola patients deserve access to high-quality care, public health considerations require treatment facilities and isolation protocols to be set up near the common epicentre of infection.
“Public health dictates [that] the medical treatment facility and treatment isolation protocols be set up near the common epicentre of the infection. That is either in Eastern Congo or Western Uganda,” he said.
The comments come amid reports that the United States is weighing plans to handle some Ebola exposure cases outside its borders.
According to The New York Times, the Trump administration is planning to send U.S. citizens who may have been exposed to Ebola to Kenya for observation and treatment rather than repatriate them to the United States, a shift from previous outbreak responses.
The report said the U.S. government was preparing a facility in Kenya where Americans could quarantine or receive care, with Public Health Service officers reportedly being trained for deployment. The White House declined to comment, the newspaper reported.Former Chief Justice David Maraga demanded full disclosure from the government over reports that the United States plans to send Americans exposed to Ebola to Kenya for treatment, warning that any such arrangement must not compromise the country’s sovereignty or endanger citizens.
Maraga said Kenyans deserve transparency and clear assurances regarding any agreement involving the management of highly infectious diseases such as Ebola.
“While Kenya takes its responsibilities in the community of nations seriously, no partnership should compromise our sovereignty or place the Kenyan public at undue risk,” he said.
Maraga expressed concern over reports circulating in American and international media suggesting that the US government intends to collaborate with Kenya in handling individuals exposed to the Ebola virus.
He argued that although international partnerships in disaster preparedness and emergency response are important, the government has a constitutional obligation to fully inform the public about any arrangements that could affect national health security.
The former Chief Justice criticized a statement issued earlier by the Ministry of Health, saying it failed to provide sufficient details or assurances to address public concerns.
“The statement issued today by the Health Cabinet Secretary neither provides clarity nor discloses details of the proposed arrangements, and thus fails to provide the specific assurances Kenyans rightly expect,” he said.
Maraga called for specific safeguards, including rigorous infection-control protocols, domestic oversight mechanisms, and protection for healthcare workers and the broader public.
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