Kenya ‘quietly hosts’ 7 Ebola-exposed Americans despite court battle, Reuters reveal
The development has reignited public concern over Kenya's role in hosting Ebola-exposed individuals, barely weeks after three Kenyans were killed during protests linked to the planned establishment of the quarantine facility in Nanyuki.
Seven American aid workers exposed to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo have reprotedly been placed under a 21-day quarantine at the controversial US-funded bio-isolation facility in Laikipia County, marking the first known occupants of the centre despite an ongoing court dispute and government assurances that construction had been halted.
The development has reignited public concern over Kenya’s role in hosting Ebola-exposed individuals, barely weeks after three Kenyans were killed during protests linked to the planned establishment of the quarantine facility in Nanyuki.
According to Reuters, the seven Americans, all employees of the evangelical Christian humanitarian organisation Samaritan’s Purse, arrived in Kenya after the United States introduced new travel restrictions requiring American citizens returning from Ebola-affected areas in the Democratic Republic of Congo to spend 21 days in a third country before re-entering the US.
Samaritan’s Purse President and Chief Executive Officer Franklin Graham confirmed that the aid workers were undergoing quarantine in Kenya.
“None of them have any symptoms, but they are being quarantined by the Kenyan government for 21 days,” Graham said.
A US State Department official also confirmed that the group had voluntarily moved into the Kenyan facility for precautionary monitoring under the supervision of US Public Health Service clinicians after receiving authorisation from Kenyan authorities.
The official stressed that the move was purely precautionary because the group was asymptomatic.
According to Reuters, sources familiar with the operation said the group arrived at the Laikipia facility on Monday and is being accommodated in temporary tents fitted with military cots. While some of the aid workers had directly treated Ebola patients in Congo, others were involved in logistical and construction support, with one individual reportedly classified as a potential high-risk exposure.
Kenyan authorities have reportedly restricted the group’s movement, preventing them from leaving the facility during the quarantine period.
The revelation comes amid a fierce legal battle over the construction of the 50-bed bio-isolation centre, which has drawn sharp criticism from civil society organisations, residents and political leaders who argue Kenya should not shoulder health risks arising from another country’s public health response.
The facility has remained at the centre of a constitutional petition filed by the Law Society of Kenya and Katiba Institute, which challenged its establishment and secured conservatory orders suspending its implementation pending determination of the case.
Last month, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale appeared before the High Court after being found in contempt for failing to comply with earlier court orders halting activities related to the project.
However, by the time of going to publication, attempts to reach Health CS Duale for clarification proved futile.
During mitigation, Duale apologised to the court and maintained that the government had since stopped construction at the disputed facility.
High Court Judge Patricia Nyaundi accepted the apology and declined to impose a jail sentence, citing the Cabinet Secretary’s willingness to submit to the authority of the court.
“I have noted that Mr Duale has indeed submitted himself to the authorities of this court,” the judge ruled, adding that she would give him “the benefit of the doubt” because it was his first contempt finding.
However, Justice Nyaundi warned that the decision should not be interpreted as tolerance for future disobedience of court orders and cautioned the Cabinet Secretary against any further non-compliance.
The confirmation that Ebola-exposed Americans are already quarantining at the facility is likely to intensify questions over whether government assurances that the project had been halted reflected the actual situation on the ground.
The controversy has also revived debate over Kenya’s involvement in the US Ebola response programme, with critics arguing that the country is being used as a quarantine destination for foreign nationals while supporters maintain that the facility poses no public health threat because it is designed to isolate asymptomatic individuals under strict medical supervision.
The Ministry of Health had not publicly commented on the presence of the seven Americans at the facility by the time of publication.
Similarly, Reuters reported that ministry officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
