US Government Responds After Kenyan Court Blocks Ebola Isolation Facility

The United States has acknowledged a Kenyan court ruling that halted the opening of a US-built Ebola quarantine and treatment centre at Laikipia Air Base, stating that it is working with Kenyan authorities to resolve objections.

A Nairobi High Court issued conservatory orders on Friday, May 29, 2026, permanently blocking the facility just as it was scheduled to begin full clinical operations. The emergency centre, constructed by the US military, was intended to isolate and treat American citizens evacuated from Ebola-affected regions in Central Africa.

In a statement released on social media, the US Foreign Assistance agency said it was aware of the court action and remained optimistic that the objections could be resolved through dialogue with Kenyan officials.

Justice Patricia Nyaundi granted sweeping orders restraining the Kenyan government from establishing, operating or permitting the 50-bed field hospital. The court also banned the entry or transit of any individuals exposed to or infected with Ebola into Kenyan territory under the bilateral agreement.

The legal challenge was filed by the Katiba Institute, a constitutional rights advocacy group. The ruling followed widespread public opposition and condemnation from healthcare unions and local politicians.

The chairman of the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union, Dr Davji Atellah, accused the Kenyan government of trading national biosecurity for a promised 13.5 million US dollars in aid.

“We will not sit back and watch Kenya be treated as a containment colony for a lethal pathogen that we did not generate,” Dr Atellah said. “If it is too dangerous for America, it is too dangerous for Kenya.”

The dispute stems from a shift in Washington’s bio-defence strategy. Unlike previous outbreaks, the current US administration has refused to allow Ebola cases on American soil. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has stated flatly that the United States cannot and will not permit any cases of Ebola to enter the country.

The Laikipia facility, staffed exclusively by the US Public Health Service, was designed to intercept and quarantine American citizens fleeing outbreak zones in Central Africa, with potential transfer to Europe considered only on a case-by-case basis.

The diplomatic standoff comes as an Ebola outbreak, driven by the Bundibugyo strain, worsens in the region. According to the World Health Organization, suspected cases have surpassed 900 in the Democratic Republic of Congo alone, with over 220 suspected deaths. Neighbouring Uganda has also confirmed cases and its first fatality.

Health professionals have noted that the outbreak, centred in DRC’s conflict-ridden Ituri province, went undetected for weeks due to fighting by armed groups who have attacked local treatment centres.

With the WHO Director-General deployed to the frontline in DRC, international observers warn that the court ruling has left the United States without a clear backup plan for extracting and isolating its personnel as the epidemic escalates.