NAIROBI, Kenya — A Kenyan court ruled Monday that Health Minister Aden Duale is in contempt for allowing construction to continue on an Ebola quarantine facility backed by the United States, in direct defiance of existing court orders to stop the work.
The High Court summoned Duale to appear Tuesday to face sentencing. Earlier this month, the minister had publicly supported the project, stating that the facility at Laikipia Air Base would serve both Kenyan citizens and international partners.
The court had previously ordered the government to suspend all construction while a legal challenge brought by the Law Society of Kenya and the Katiba Institute — a constitutional watchdog organization — was being heard. Those filing the lawsuit argued that Kenya’s healthcare system is already under severe strain and may not be equipped to safely manage foreign Ebola patients.
People living in communities near Laikipia Air Base reported seeing U.S. military aircraft arriving at the base even after the court issued its suspension order on May 29.
President William Ruto has stood behind the project, pointing to a long-standing partnership between the U.S. and Kenya on health and security issues. He noted that the Laikipia site is one of 24 preparedness centers created to respond to potential Ebola outbreaks.
Opposition to the facility grew sharply after the U.S. announced it would not bring American Ebola patients back home, opting instead to quarantine them overseas. The United States has committed roughly $13 million to the partnership.
The controversy has sparked widespread protests throughout Kenya, with some demonstrations becoming violent. At least three people were reportedly shot and killed during the unrest.
The U.S. embassy in Kenya stated that the quarantine center posed no danger to local residents, adding that the U.S. was “aware of the court action” and was “actively working with the Kenyan government to resolve any objections.”
