Kenya orders immediate halt to controversial US-backed Ebola facility

The project had sparked court proceedings, public protests and questions about the country's role in responding to an outbreak beyond its borders. Kenya has halted construction of a controversial US-backed Ebola isolation facility after the country's High Court found Health Minister Aden Duale in contempt of court. On Tuesday, Duale told the court that he had ordered "the immediate and complete cessation" of construction and related activities at the site pending the outcome of a legal challenge. The move marks a big reversal after weeks of political and public pressure over the project. The planned facility was a 50-bed quarantine and isolation centre at Laikipia Air Base, near the town of Nanyuki, around 200 kilometres north of Nairobi. It was intended to house US citizens who may have been exposed to Ebola during response operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo and other affected countries in the region. The High Court had ordered the government on 28 May to stop work on the project until it could hear a petition brought by rights group Katiba Institute. Judges ruled on Monday that construction had continued despite the order. "I find that in commissioning the ongoing construction of the facility at Laikipia, the 2nd respondent is in continuing contempt of the orders of the court," Judge Patricia Nyaundi said. Appearing before the court, Duale apologised and denied intentionally defying the judiciary. "I sincerely regret any action or omission, misunderstanding or misinterpretation that may have resulted in non-compliance of the order of this court or created the perception thereof," he said. The minister added that he would be "the last person to defy a court order". The government argued that it believed the court order applied only to the proposed partnership with the United States and not to broader Ebola preparedness measures. The court rejected that interpretation, with Judge Nyaundi saying a court order "is not an invitation to ingenuity – it is a command to be obeyed". The project has generated strong opposition in Kenya. Critics say the government initiated the facility without sufficient public consultation and questioned why Kenya should host a quarantine centre for Americans when the country has never recorded an Ebola case. The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union said it "will not sit back and watch Kenya be treated as a containment colony for a lethal pathogen that we did not generate". Public anger over the project led to demonstrations in Laikipia County, where at least three people have died during protests linked to the facility. Rights groups and witnesses have accused police of using excessive force, although authorities say investigations into the deaths are continuing. Despite ordering construction to stop, Kenyan officials continue to defend the need for Ebola preparedness measures. Duale told the court that his decisions were "based on science, technical advice and strategic interventions" and argued that fears surrounding the facility were "scientifically unfounded". The future of the project will now depend on the outcome of the court case and whether the government can obtain legal approval to restart construction.