The United States has responded after Kenya’s High Court temporarily halted the establishment of a proposed Ebola quarantine facility.
In a statement issued on May 29, 2026, following the court action, the U.S. Foreign Service said that Washington was aware of the legal challenge and the ongoing proceedings.
It further revealed that the United States is engaging Kenyan authorities and remains optimistic that concerns surrounding the proposed Ebola quarantine facility can be resolved.
“We are aware of the court action filed in Kenya against the Ebola isolation facility. We are in touch with Kenyan authorities and are optimistic we can resolve objections,” the statement said.
High Court ruling stopping Ebola facility
The response came after the High Court issued interim conservatory orders stopping the establishment and operation of any Ebola-related quarantine, isolation, exposure monitoring or treatment facility in Kenya linked to an arrangement involving the United States or any other foreign government.
Justice Patricia Nyaundi granted the orders after a petition filed by rights activists argued that the proposed facility raised constitutional, public health and sovereignty concerns.
According to the court order, the application was certified as urgent after the petitioner argued that failure to intervene immediately posed an imminent threat to life.
The court subsequently restrained government agencies from “establishing, operationalising, facilitating, approving or permitting the establishment and/or operation of any Ebola exposure, quarantine, isolation or treatment facility in Kenya pursuant to any arrangement with the United States of America or any foreign government or agency pending the inter-parties hearing of this application.”
Also Read: Blow to Ruto as Court Stops U.S Ebola Quarantine Project
A second conservatory order barred the respondents from admitting into Kenya, transferring to Kenya, receiving within Kenya or facilitating the entry of persons exposed to or infected with Ebola under the disputed arrangement pending further court proceedings.
The matter has been scheduled for mention on June 2 for further directions.
The legal challenge was filed amid reports that the United States had reached an agreement to isolate and monitor American citizens potentially exposed to Ebola in Kenya rather than transporting them directly to the United States for observation and treatment.
In its petition, the Katiba Institute said the arrangement was being established in secret and raised serious constitutional concerns.
The institute argued that bringing Ebola-exposed individuals into Kenya could expose a country with no confirmed Ebola cases to unnecessary public health risks.
Following the ruling, the organization formally notified both the U.S. State Department and U.S. health authorities about the court orders.
The organization said the court had legally barred the Kenyan government and all associated parties from establishing or operationalizing such a facility pending a full hearing, adding that international health cooperation must comply with constitutional safeguards.
“Crucially, the directive strictly forbids the admission, transfer, or recipient into Kenya of any persons exposed to or infected with the Ebola virus under this impugned arrangement,” part of the statement read.
“While international cooperation in global health is necessary, it cannot bypass constitutional safeguards. The people of Kenya possess a fundamental right to transparency, public participation, and a government that acts explicitly in their best interest.”
The group said it expected the United States to respect the ruling and Kenya’s judicial processes.
LSK moves to court
Separately, the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) has also moved to court to challenge the proposal.
In a statement, the lawyers’ body said it opposed any attempt to establish an Ebola quarantine, monitoring or treatment facility for foreign nationals within Kenya.
LSK argued that the proposal raised serious constitutional, public health, environmental, biosafety and sovereignty concerns.
The society also expressed concern that discussions appeared to have taken place without public disclosure, parliamentary oversight or publicly available biosafety assessments.
This comes amid increased cooperation between Nairobi and Washington on Ebola preparedness.
On May 28, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a telephone conversation with President William Ruto to discuss ongoing Ebola response efforts and coordination between the two countries.
According to a State Department readout released after the call, the two leaders discussed securing vital medical supplies and strengthening Kenya’s preparedness capacity.
“The Secretary and President Ruto discussed coordinated efforts to secure vital medical supplies for Kenya and ensure the strength and preparedness of Kenya’s health system,” the statement said.
The United States announced plans to commit an additional $13.5 million (approximately KSh1.74 billion) toward Kenya’s Ebola preparedness efforts.
Washington also disclosed that it had already committed $112 million (approximately KSh14.48 billion) in bilateral assistance to support the wider regional Ebola response.
U.S. contributes additional $80 million for response
Further details regarding American support efforts were provided by U.S. Senior Advisor for Arab and African Affairs Massad Boulos.
Also Read: Details of Two US Army Aircraft That Landed at Laikipia Amid Ebola Facility Debate
In a statement issued on Friday, Boulos said the United States had contributed an additional $80 million to regional Ebola response efforts on top of a previous $32 million commitment.
“The United States today contributed an additional $80M, on top of $32M already contributed, in urgently needed bilateral funds to combat Ebola as we continue to be the leading financial contributor to the vital effort to combat the spread of this terrible disease,” Boulos said.
He added that the administration was also pursuing diplomatic initiatives to improve security conditions for health responders operating in affected regions.
This comes as authorities and health officials continue to respond to an Ebola outbreak affecting parts of Central and East Africa, which has killed more than 200 people, raising fears of wider regional and international spread.
Follow our WhatsApp Channel and X Account for real-time news updates.
