A Kenyan court issued a temporary injunction on Friday, stopping the planned opening of a facility designed to quarantine American citizens arriving from the Democratic Republic of Congo. The site was slated to begin operations at the Laikipia Air Base, roughly 200 kilometers from Nairobi, featuring 50 isolation beds operated by US medical personnel.
The court document mandates that authorities refrain from setting up any Ebola-related isolation or treatment centers within the country. This decision follows a legal challenge initiated by the Katiba Institute, a rights organization that claims the facility was established without transparency and poses significant constitutional issues.
While Kenya has not reported any Ebola cases, the government is currently facing backlash from the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union. The union accused officials of prioritizing foreign aid over national health security and warned of potential strikes. The health ministry has 48 hours to file a formal response to the legal petition.
