Kenya Halts US Backed Ebola Facility After Court Pressure and Public Outcry

Kenya has suspended the construction of a controversial US-backed Ebola quarantine facility, following a court ruling and mounting public pressure over the project’s location and purpose.

Health Minister Aden Duale confirmed the halt, stating that the government had complied with legal directives after a High Court found him in contempt for failing to enforce earlier suspension orders. The facility, being developed at Laikipia Air Base, was intended to house Americans exposed to Ebola during an ongoing outbreak in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo.

The project, partly funded by the United States, has sparked widespread protests in Kenya, with critics arguing it poses public health risks and raises concerns about transparency and national sovereignty. Demonstrations in recent weeks have turned violent in some areas, with reports of casualties and heightened security around the site.

Despite the suspension, reports indicate that construction activity and deliveries of equipment had continued even after earlier court orders halted the project, intensifying tensions between authorities, protesters, and international partners.

The Kenyan government, alongside U.S. officials, has defended the initiative as part of broader Ebola preparedness and global health cooperation. President William Ruto has previously described the facility as one of several regional centres aimed at strengthening outbreak response capacity.

However, opposition groups and legal activists insist the agreement was not adequately transparent and that Kenya’s already strained healthcare system may be unable to safely host foreign Ebola patients.

The latest court backed halt marks a significant setback for the project and underscores growing public resistance to its implementation, as debates continue over health security, sovereignty and international partnerships in disease response.