Kenyan Court Suspends Trump Plan To Quarantine Ebola-Exposed Americans At Laikipia Air Base

A Kenyan court on Friday suspended a Trump administration plan to establish a makeshift field hospital in Kenya to quarantine and treat Americans exposed to or infected with Ebola, issuing its ruling citing a threat to life.

“Kenya court suspends US plan for Ebola quarantine facility for Americans NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — A court in Kenya on Friday suspended a U”

AP News

The Washington Post reported the facility would have capacity for up to 50 patients potentially exposed during the growing Ebola outbreak centered in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the BBC described the court action as stopping the deal until petitions are heard on Tuesday.

AP News

The Associated Press said U.S. administration officials planned to send Americans exposed to Ebola while abroad to a new facility at Laikipia Air Base, with 50 quarantine beds by Friday, after a backlash by medical workers and activists.

The court’s suspension came as the outbreak in northeastern Congo involved the Bundibugyo virus, with the Associated Press saying the Congolese government confirmed more than 1,000 suspected cases and at least 220 deaths since it declared an outbreak on May 15.

In the same AP account, the Kenyan High Court in Nairobi put a stop to any deal on the Ebola facility until petitions against it are heard on Tuesday, after separate challenges by Katiba Institute and the Kenya Law Society.

The Associated Press reported that a Kenyan doctors’ union issued a 48-hour strike notice should the country proceed with the deal, saying the U.S. was clear it would not allow Ebola on their soil and that Kenya should not become a “dumping ground.”

AP quoted the union’s chairperson, Davji Atellah, saying, "we are utterly disgusted by the government’s apparent willingness to trade national biosecurity and the lives of its citizens for foreign aid," as ordinary Kenyans voiced anger at the plan.

Ars Technica

The Washington Post framed the court’s decision as suspending the Trump administration plan on the day U.S. officials said the facility would begin operating, and it tied the ruling to the court’s citation of a threat to life.

Ars Technica described the stalled plan as a makeshift quarantine and treatment facility in Kenya instead of bringing citizens home, and it said the Katiba Institute filed a petition on Thursday to challenge the establishment of the quarantine and treatment facility.

Ars Technica also quoted Katiba’s statement that "The secretive, unilateral establishment of an Ebola quarantine facility raises grave constitutional concerns" as the case moved forward.

The Associated Press said the U.S. government intends to commit $13.5 million toward Kenya’s Ebola preparedness efforts, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying so in a statement.

“It seems some African nations have grown tired of the Trump administration treating them like lab rats”

MS NOW

The Associated Press reported that the Kenya Law Society asked the court to nullify any agreements signed between the U.S. and Kenya on the project, citing public health risks and a lack of public participation, and it said the group argued Kenya lacks “the high-containment infrastructure required to safely manage such a facility.”

The Washington Post said the Ebola outbreak was centered in the Democratic Republic of Congo, while the Associated Press added that the virus had reached neighboring Uganda, which confirmed seven cases and one death.

Ars Technica described the initial plan as a 50-bed quarantine facility expected to be operational on May 29, followed by isolation and biocontainment units for Americans infected with the virus, but it said the plan was stalled after events on Thursday and Friday.

The Associated Press concluded that the Kenyan government said it was in discussions with the U.S. on support for Ebola preparedness, but declined to address whether the country would establish a treatment facility for Americans, as the court’s next steps were set for Tuesday.