A Kenyan court has suspended US plans to open an Ebola quarantine facility for American citizens in the country, which has sparked public concern about cross-border infection risks.
The 50-bed isolation centre, the exact location of which has not been revealed, is to be staffed by US medics and was due to begin operations on Friday, according to an American official. The Kenyan government has not directly commented on the plan.
In its court petition, rights group the Katiba Institute warned that the arrangement posed “grave and imminent risks” to public health.
A High Court judge barred the operation of any Ebola facility in Kenya by any foreign government until the case is heard.
The US isolation centre in Kenya is intended to treat US citizens believed to have been exposed to the virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, according to US officials.
The current Ebola outbreak, which is centred in the the east of DR Congo, is suspected to have caused at least 220 deaths and more than 900 infections so far, the Congolese authorities say. There have also been seven cases and one death in Uganda.
Referring to plans to staff the treatment centre in Kenya a US official said “the first group has deployed. These individuals received extensive training in the use of PPE [personal protective equipment], in the use of proper quarantine techniques”.
“We’re going to be ready to take care of our citizens as needed,” the official added.
Kenya was selected because of “its proximity [to the location of the outbreak] and to ensure Americans can be treated in a timely matter”, the official said.
But in its ruling, the court in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, specifically restrained government agencies and officials from “establishing, operationalising, facilitating, approving or permitting” any Ebola-related quarantine, isolation or treatment centre tied to arrangements with the US or any foreign government in Kenya.
Justice Patricia Nyaundi barred authorities from admitting into Kenya anyone exposed to or infected with Ebola under the proposed arrangement.
The Katiba Institute argued that there was an imminent threat to life if the plans proceeded without safeguards.
The court agreed that public interest justified issuing interim orders while the matter was heard.
This comes amid heightened public concern and widespread criticism following reports that the US could send Ebola-exposed individuals to Kenya for observation or treatment.
The reports have triggered anxiety online, with many Kenyans questioning whether the country has sufficient containment capacity to safely manage such cases.
