By Gloria Ogbonna
Kenya’s Health Minister, Aden Duale, announced on Tuesday that construction of a controversial U.S.-backed Ebola treatment facility at Laikipia Air Base has been halted following a court order and mounting public opposition.
The decision came one day after Kenya’s High Court found Duale in contempt for failing to comply with previous judicial directives issued in May and early June that ordered an immediate suspension of work on the project. The court had repeatedly instructed government officials to stop construction until legal challenges against the facility could be fully heard.
On Monday, High Court Justice Patricia Nyaundi Mande sharply criticized the government’s failure to obey the court’s rulings, emphasizing that judicial orders must be respected.
“The Court cannot permit its orders to be rendered hollow,” Justice Mande stated as she summoned Duale to appear before the court and explain why construction activities had continued despite the legal restrictions.
Appearing before the court on Tuesday, Duale informed Justice Mande that he had issued instructions for all construction work at the site to stop immediately. While complying with the court’s directive, the health minister continued to defend the project, arguing that the proposed Ebola treatment center was both safe and necessary for regional and international public health preparedness.
Following his assurance that construction would cease, Justice Mande warned Duale against any future violations of court orders but declined to impose punitive measures, allowing him to leave without additional sanctions.
The proposed facility, located near the town of Nanyuki in central Kenya, was designed as a 50-bed quarantine and treatment center funded, built, and staffed by the United States. According to plans for the project, the facility would primarily be used to treat American citizens and other personnel who might contract Ebola while working or traveling in outbreak regions such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and neighboring Uganda.
The project quickly became a source of political controversy after Kenyan President William Ruto approved the initiative, citing Kenya’s long-standing strategic relationship with the United States. Ruto argued that the partnership reflected decades of cooperation between the two nations and insisted that the facility would not pose any danger to Kenyan citizens.
Speaking earlier in June, Ruto defended his decision, explaining that the project was part of a broader agreement with a trusted ally.
“When President Trump asked the government of Kenya to support them by having a center at Laikipia Air Base, I gave the OK because it was an agreement and a partnership with friends who have worked with Kenya for 30 to 40 years,” the president said.
Despite those assurances, the proposal triggered widespread concern among many Kenyans. Critics questioned whether an Ebola treatment center could be operated safely and expressed fears that Kenya was being used as a location to house dangerous infectious disease cases originating from other countries.
Opponents of the project argued that the facility could expose local communities to unnecessary health risks. Several civic organizations and community groups filed legal challenges, claiming that the project presented “grave and imminent risks” to public health and that citizens had not been adequately consulted before construction began.
Public frustration soon spilled into the streets as demonstrations against the project intensified across parts of the country. Protests grew larger and increasingly confrontational, eventually leading to clashes with security forces. Reports indicated that several demonstrators were killed after police opened fire during some of the protests, further fueling public anger and scrutiny of the government’s handling of the situation.
In response to the growing controversy, Kenya’s High Court issued orders in late May directing authorities to stop construction activities and suspend the operation of any Ebola treatment facility run by a foreign government until all legal proceedings were concluded. The court also prohibited Kenyan officials from allowing Ebola patients to enter the country for treatment at foreign-operated medical centers during the legal review process.
However, questions remained about whether those directives were being fully followed. According to reports, flights carrying medical equipment, supplies, and specialist personnel continued arriving at Laikipia Air Base even after the court orders were issued. U.S. officials also reportedly confirmed that training activities for personnel associated with the project were continuing at the site.
Recent satellite imagery suggested that construction had advanced significantly before the latest suspension order. Images reportedly showed expanded paved areas, the installation of numerous tents, and the addition of container-like structures and other infrastructure components, indicating substantial progress had already been made on the facility.
The dispute has now become a major test of the balance between public health planning, international cooperation, and judicial oversight in Kenya. As legal challenges move forward, the future of the Ebola treatment center remains uncertain, while debate continues over whether the project serves an important global health purpose or presents unacceptable risks to local communities.
Source Breitbart
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