Thursday, June 25,
2026 - The United States Government is determined to put up an Ebola
quarantine facility in Kenya despite opposition and court orders halting the
controversial project.
According to Reuters, President Donald Trump’s
administration is seeking Ksh 103.7 billion (USD 800 million) from Congress to
fund humanitarian Ebola response efforts, including the construction of the
disputed centre at Laikipia Air Base.
The request forms part of a larger Ksh 181.5 billion (USD
1.4 billion) package aimed at containing a rapidly spreading Ebola outbreak in
the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The proposed allocation will support the Kenyan facility
alongside treatment supplies, contact tracing programmes, infection‑control
measures and a regional logistics network.
However, the plan faces stiff resistance in Kenya, where
civil society groups and residents have raised concerns over public safety,
constitutional compliance and national sovereignty.
The High Court has already suspended the project, barring
the Government from operationalising any Ebola quarantine or treatment facility
linked to the arrangement pending determination of a petition filed by Katiba
Institute.
The ruling also prohibited the admission or transfer into
Kenya of persons exposed to or infected with Ebola under the disputed
programme.
The petition challenges an alleged agreement between Kenya
and the U.S to establish a 50‑bed quarantine centre at Laikipia.
President William Ruto has defended the project, insisting that
it will strengthen Kenya’s preparedness against Ebola.
Meanwhile, the outbreak in Congo, linked to the rare
Bundibugyo strain, has infected more than 1,000 people and killed 267,
according to the World Health Organisation.
The Kenyan DAILY POST
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