A Kenyan court has temporarily blocked the U.S. government from opening a new Ebola quarantine facility in the country for American citizens.
The U.S. announced Thursday it was planning to set up a new center at Laikipia air base, where American citizens exposed to Ebola during the current outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo could be quarantined before being transferred to Europe.
The 50-bed facility, located about 125 miles north of the capital, Nairobi, would have started operating on Friday. The president of Kenya, William Ruto, has approved the plan, according to U.S. officials, and the U.K. was in talks with the U.S. about joint access to the facility.
But a Kenyan high court has now temporarily suspended the plans, after local nonprofit organization Katiba Institute petitioned to halt the establishment of the facility over concerns that it would expose the public to “grave health risks.”
“The secretive, unilateral establishment of an Ebola quarantine facility raises grave constitutional concerns regarding the rights to life, health, fair administrative action, public participation, and parliamentary oversight,” Katiba Institute wrote.
There has never been a confirmed case of Ebola in Kenya.
In the decision, judge Patricia Nyaundi suspended authorities from “establishing, operationalising, facilitating, approving or permitting” an Ebola quarantine facility with any foreign government. It also blocks them from admitting or facilitating entry to Kenya of people exposed or infected with Ebola as part of a deal with the U.S., according to the nonprofit.
It’s unclear how long the suspension will last.
The current Ebola outbreak is suspected to have caused nearly 250 deaths and over 1,000 infectious so far across the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. This Bundibugyo strain is rare and there are no licensed treatments or vaccines.
