Kenya Health Minister Halts US‑Backed Ebola Quarantine Centre Construction After Court Order

Fri Jul 10 2026 17:48:45 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Kenya’s Health Minister has abruptly stopped building a 50‑bed Ebola quarantine facility after a court found him in contempt for ignoring a judge’s ruling.

Kenya’s Health Minister Aden Duale has halted construction of a controversial US‑backed Ebola quarantine centre after a High Court found him in contempt for ignoring its order. The facility, intended for US citizens suspected of Ebola infection, was to be built on a military airbase near Nanyuki. Duale apologised, citing scientific advice, but the judge warned him against defying court orders. The project sparked protests, resulting in three deaths. Kenya’s President defended the plan, and the US has pledged $13.5 million for Ebola preparedness.

Kenya’s Health Minister has halted the controversial construction of a US‑backed Ebola quarantine centre following a court ruling that found him in contempt for ignoring the order.

Adan Duale appeared in court, apologized, and said the government had directed the immediate and complete cessation of building work at a military airbase in the town of Nanyuki.

The High Court had previously settled that the 50‑bed isolation centre should stop construction until a rights group’s case could be heard. Duale had ignored the order, leading the judge to rule against the project, yet on Monday the court found he had allowed the building to continue illegally.

The quarantine facility was intended for US citizens suspected of Ebola infection in the current outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Duale’s court appearance marked a rare instance of a sitting Kenyan minister facing possible sanction for contempt, highlighting high stakes in the dispute.

The High Court judge, Patricia Nyaundi, accepted Duale’s apology and discharged him with a stern warning. Lawyers who brought the case urged a 15‑month custodial sentence.

Duale explained that the Kenyan and US governments had agreed to suspend the proposed collaboration after the court order. The police claim that the facility poses “grave and imminent risks” to public health; Duale answered that any decision was based on science and strategic interventions.

Satellite imaging shows increased tents and more tarmac since early June; a dirt road appears paved and vegetation cleared around the site’s edges. The plan sparked violent protests in Nanyuki. Three people were killed, including a 17‑year‑old schoolboy, Sylvester Muigai Ndung’u, whose death in police action remains disputed.

In a larger context, Kenya has recorded no Ebola cases as of the latest court term; the US prepared a $13.5 million aid package for the region’s Ebola response, part of a $112 million commitment to the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The Kenyan Medical Practitioners Union has challenged the country’s selection as host for the quarantine facility, voicing concerns that Kenya could become a containment colony for the disease that was not created here. Washington’s strategic aid aims to protect Kenyan health security amid a global epidemic.