The Trump administration is refusing to repatriate Americans exposed to Ebola amid the outbreak still raging in the Democratic Republic of Congo. But plans to send US citizens to Kenya have hit a halt, and officials are still struggling to find other countries that can take them.
Earlier this week, it was revealed that the administration had drawn up plans to set up a temporary quarantine and treatment facility in Kenya rather than bringing its citizens home to high-quality care in special facilities built for the purpose. According to initial plans, the US facility would be in Laikipia, about 120 miles north of Nairobi, where the US has an air base. Initially, the plan was to set up a 50-bed quarantine facility, which was expected to be operational today, May 29. Then, in another state, officials will set up isolation and biocontainment units to house Americans infected with the virus.
But after a series of incidents on Thursday and Friday, that plan is now on hold. Katiba Institute, which advocates the constitutional rights of Kenyans, filed a petition on Thursday to challenge the establishment of the quarantine and treatment facility.
“The secret, unilateral establishment of an Ebola quarantine facility raises serious constitutional concerns with respect to the rights to life, health, impartial administrative action, public participation and parliamentary oversight,” Katiba said in a statement posted on social media.
Katiba is demanding a government preparedness plan to prevent or respond to the potential spread of the Ebola virus, which does not exist in Kenya. The institute is also demanding disclosure of the terms of any agreement between Kenya and the US regarding the facility. Katiba said, “At its core, the case is about preserving constitutional accountability, protecting public health and ensuring that no government can be above the lives and safety of the people of Kenya.”
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