Kenya rules out public consultations on US Ebola facility amid growing controversy

Kenyan Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said Wednesday that the government will not seek public consultation on the establishment of a US-linked Ebola quarantine facility at the Laikipia Air Base.

He argued that authorities have a constitutional obligation to protect the country from infectious disease threats amid a regional Ebola outbreak.

Duale defended the government's Ebola preparedness strategy during a parliamentary session in the National Assembly, after lawmakers summoned him to explain the proposed US-linked quarantine facility and Kenya's readiness to respond to a potential outbreak.

“This epidemic does not require any consultation before Kenyans are infected. We, as a government, have a moral constitutional responsibility to protect both Kenyans and other people who are not Kenyans who live within our borders or who transit within our country,” said Duale.

Public health laws

He said the government was acting within powers granted under public health laws and warned that the country could not ignore the threat posed by the Ebola outbreak in neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo.

“We are dealing with a very abnormal situation,” he said. “The Public Health Act, section 35 and section 36, mandates the minister of health to take all the necessary action to protect and safeguard the safety of our citizens, our visitors and all those who live within the borders of our country from any of the infectious diseases.”

Duale's remarks came as the government faces mounting scrutiny about the facility, which has triggered protests, court challenges and political debate.

Demonstrations outside the center in Nanyuki turned violent Monday, with police and protest organizers later confirming that two people were killed during the unrest.

Duale rejected claims that the center was intended exclusively for Americans and said Kenyans would also have access to the facility, if necessary.

The minister also outlined the legal framework underpinning the arrangement, saying Kenya and the US signed a biological threat reduction cooperation agreement during former US President Barack Obama's visit to Kenya in 2015.

The agreement was approved by parliament in 2017, renewed in 2022 and remains in force until April 2029, according to Duale.

Laikipia Air Base is located about 8 kilometers (5 miles) west-northwest of Nanyuki and 200 kilometers north of the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.

Outbreak preparedness

The military installation sits in a region known for commercial farms, cattle ranches, pastoral grazing lands and wildlife conservancies near the foothills of Mount Kenya.

Duale argued that Kenya's role as a regional transport, diplomatic and tourism hub makes outbreak preparedness essential.

The facility remains suspended under court orders after the High Court extended by three weeks a halt on its operation and directed the government to disclose the agreement underpinning the project.

Despite the legal challenge and growing public opposition, Duale's remarks signaled that the government intends to continue defending the facility as a critical component of Kenya's Ebola preparedness strategy.