Kenya rights group files petition to halt US Ebola quarantine centre plan
Health & Science
By
AFP
| May 29, 2026
A Kenyan rights group said on Thursday it had filed a court petition against plans to establish an Ebola quarantine centre for US nationals in the East African country.
Washington is building a "state-of-the-art" facility in Kenya for US citizens to quarantine after leaving the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is battling a major outbreak of the disease, a US administration official said.
Katiba Institute, a Kenyan rights group, said it had filed the petition seeking to halt operations at the facility and block the entry of people exposed to Ebola.
The rights group argued the centre was being established in secrecy and unilaterally, saying it "raises grave constitutional concerns".
Jean Kaseya, head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), warned the facility could place "additional pressure" on Kenya's health system.
READ MORE
Co-op Bank named Africa's SME Bank of the Year
Finance Bill will hit sector hard, warn aviation industry players
Experts: Finance Bill proposal on nascent sectors hurts growth
Panama eyes new China maritime deal despite Trump pressure
Kenya's 18.1 million informal workers hold the future of pensions
Why you will soon pay more for ugali
Global push to redefine housing for appropriate policy intervention
Slow decarbonisation of buildings, construction sector raise concerns
Growing dominance of China in African ports ruffles feathers
Kenya's flower exports now feel the heat of rising freight costs
"Adding an international quarantine responsibility for foreign nationals could stretch their national capacities... If it's not well supported by additional resources," Kaseya said during a press briefing on the outbreak.
Kenya has been testing arrivals and has yet to report any cases of Ebola in its territory from the current outbreak.
"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," Nora Mbagathi, executive director at Katiba Institute, said.
Kenya's health ministry has said it is willing to work with other countries, including the US, but has not directly addressed questions about the facility.
The World Health Organisation has recorded 10 confirmed and 223 suspected Ebola deaths in the Democratic Republic of Congo since the Ebola outbreak was declared in mid-May, out of more than 1,000 confirmed and suspected cases.
There have also been at least seven cases in Uganda, which neighbours both the DRC and Kenya.
No vaccine or treatment exists for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which is behind the current outbreak.