A human rights group in Kenya, a country located in the Horn of Africa, has launched a strong protest against plans to establish an Ebola quarantine center for United States (US) citizens, filing a court petition to halt the project. According to information released on Thursday, the Kenyan rights group “Katiba Institute” filed a court petition seeking to completely halt operations at this Ebola quarantine facility and block the entry of foreign nationals exposed to the disease into Kenya.
This controversial issue erupted after a US administration official revealed that Washington is building a “state-of-the-art” quarantine facility on Kenyan soil for US citizens leaving the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which is currently battling a major outbreak of the disease. With the Democratic Republic of Congo currently fighting this severe Ebola outbreak, the choice to keep American citizens on Kenyan soil rather than returning them to their own country has raised significant questions among Kenyans.
In its petition to the court, the rights group Katiba Institute strongly protested that the center is being established in secrecy, unilaterally, and without transparency. The organization argued in its legal challenge that this approach “raises grave constitutional concerns”. The group contends that constructing a quarantine facility for such a dangerous outbreak without public participation and transparency puts public safety at risk.
Nora Mbagathi, the executive director at Katiba Institute, explained the necessity of the lawsuit, stating: “The case is about preserving constitutional accountability, protecting public health and ensuring that no government may place expediency above the lives and safety of the people of Kenya”.
Jean Kaseya, head of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), expressed concerns regarding the pressure this American quarantine center plan could place on Kenya’s healthcare system. During a press briefing on the outbreak, Kaseya warned that taking on an international quarantine responsibility for foreign nationals could heavily stretch and test Kenya’s national capacities. He specifically pointed out that if the facility is not well supported by additional resources, it could place severe strain on Kenya’s existing health infrastructure.
According to current data, Kenya has been actively testing arrivals at its airports and border checkpoints and has yet to report any cases of Ebola on its territory from the current outbreak. While Kenya’s health ministry has expressed its willingness to work with other countries, including the US, it has so far refrained from providing clear answers to direct questions regarding the secretive facility.
According to the latest data recorded by the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 1,000 confirmed and suspected cases of Ebola have been registered in the Democratic Republic of Congo since the outbreak was officially declared. Out of these, a large number of people have lost their lives, including 10 confirmed and 223 suspected Ebola deaths.
The outbreak is not confined to the DRC; there have also been at least seven confirmed Ebola cases in Uganda, which neighbors both the DRC and Kenya. This situation has triggered regional anxiety, and the fears of Kenyans have been further heightened by the fact that no vaccine or treatment currently exists for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which is behind the current outbreak. Consequently, rights activists are continuing their legal battle, arguing that the country should not host a quarantine facility for foreign nationals that presents such a risk to its people and stretches its national capacity.
