The Kenyan government has confirmed a partnership with the United States aimed at strengthening the country’s Ebola preparedness and response systems, amid public concern and an ongoing court battle over reports of a quarantine facility for American citizens at Laikipia Airbase.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, in a statement issued on Saturday, said the collaboration with the US is expected to strengthen disease surveillance, isolation capacity, emergency preparedness exercises, and access to critical medical supplies.
“The partnership further supports enhanced surveillance, diagnostic capacity, emergency preparedness exercises, critical medical supplies, and rapid response capabilities,” Duale said.
He noted that the investments would go beyond the current Ebola threat and strengthen Kenya’s overall health security infrastructure.
“These investments will strengthen Kenya’s health security by improving laboratory capacity, healthcare infrastructure, disease surveillance, emergency response systems, supply chains, and workforce readiness beyond the current Ebola threat,” he said.
The announcement comes amid growing public concern following reports that Kenya had agreed to host a 50-bed Ebola quarantine and treatment facility for American citizens allegedly exposed to the virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda.
Reports indicated the facility would be established at Laikipia Airbase and staffed by American medical personnel.
However, the matter has since moved to court after the High Court temporarily suspended any plans to operationalise such a facility.
In a ruling delivered this week, Justice Patricia Nyaundi barred the establishment, operationalisation, approval, or facilitation of any Ebola-related quarantine, isolation, or treatment centre tied to agreements with the US or any other foreign government until the case is heard and determined.
The court also stopped authorities from admitting into Kenya any Ebola-exposed or infected persons under the proposed arrangement.
The petition was filed by the Katiba Institute, which argued that the plan posed “grave and imminent risks” to public health and could expose Kenyans to unnecessary cross-border infection risks.
The court agreed that public interest warranted interim conservatory orders pending full hearing of the case.
The exact location of the proposed facility has not been officially disclosed by US authorities. However, leaders from Laikipia County have publicly opposed reports suggesting the centre would be established in the region.
Laikipia leaders questioned the rationale of hosting such a facility, with Governor Joshua Irungu among those objecting to the reported plan and calling for transparency from the national government.
Public anxiety has also intensified online, with many Kenyans questioning whether the country has adequate containment capacity to safely manage Ebola cases.
Kenya’s largest doctors’ union, the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU), criticised the reported arrangement, accusing the government of engaging in “backdoor negotiations” and demanding the immediate release of any bilateral agreements underpinning the plan.
The union questioned why Kenya was allegedly selected to host a quarantine facility for exposed US citizens despite not being at the centre of the outbreak.
“If it is too dangerous for America, it is too dangerous for Kenya,” KMPDU said in a statement.
KMPDU Secretary General Davji Atellah warned that the union would not support what he termed the country being turned into a “containment colony” for a deadly disease.
The union also opposed reports that the facility could be staffed by American personnel instead of Kenyan healthcare workers, warning against what it described as an “apartheid healthcare model” on Kenyan soil.
The doctors’ union gave the government a 48-hour ultimatum to disclose details of the arrangement or face possible nationwide industrial action.
Despite the concerns, President William Ruto appeared to defend international cooperation in addressing public health threats during a meeting with foreign diplomats in Nairobi on Thursday.
“We agreed on the importance of cooperation and avoiding isolationism, recognising that public health threats do not respect borders and require coordinated regional and global action,” President Ruto said.
“Kenya will continue to act transparently, responsibly, and decisively to protect lives while contributing to regional and global health security,” he added.
The President, however, did not directly address reports regarding the proposed US Ebola treatment facility.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also held a phone conversation with President Ruto on Thursday, during which Washington pledged $13.5 million (about Sh1.7 billion) to support Kenya’s Ebola preparedness efforts.
The funding forms part of a broader $112 million US regional response package aimed at containing the Ebola outbreak.
According to Congolese authorities, the current Ebola outbreak in eastern DRC has resulted in at least 220 deaths and over 900 infections, while Uganda has reported nine confirmed cases and one death.
Duale said Kenya has intensified preparedness measures in response to the outbreak, warning that infectious diseases can easily cross borders, especially given Kenya’s role as a regional trade and travel hub.
“The ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is a reminder that infectious diseases do not respect national borders,” Duale said.
“As a regional hub for trade, travel, and commerce, Kenya must remain prepared to prevent, detect, and respond to public health threats before they reach our communities.”
The Health CS said the government has moved beyond border screening and established specialised Ebola isolation and treatment facilities at major referral hospitals.
These include dedicated units at Kenyatta National Hospital, Kenya National Police Hospital, and Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital.
He added that additional emergency response sites have been identified in more than 10 high-risk border counties to support rapid intervention in the event of an outbreak.
Duale said lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic had demonstrated the importance of investing in health systems before emergencies occur.
“By strengthening critical health systems today, these investments will leave Kenya better prepared for future outbreaks and other public health challenges,” he said.
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