Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has dismissed claims that seven American humanitarian workers are being quarantined at the controversial U.S.-funded Ebola facility at Laikipia Air Base, insisting that construction of the centre was halted following a court order.
Speaking on Wednesday, July 22, during the handover of an emergency Ebola response consignment donated by India, Duale said reports linking the Americans to the Laikipia facility were false.
According to the Health CS, the government complied with the court’s directive by stopping construction of the Laikipia quarantine centre. He explained that work is only continuing at the other 22 Ebola response sites planned across the country.
“When I appeared before the court, I committed myself to respecting the rule of law. We have stopped building the quarantine centre in Laikipia. We are only building the other 22 sites. Anyone can visit and verify that for themselves,” Duale said.
Duale also defended the government’s decision to keep the locations of Ebola isolation and quarantine facilities confidential. He argued that publicly identifying the centres could discourage Kenyans from seeking treatment at those hospitals.
“If I announce that a particular hospital is an Ebola quarantine centre, even ordinary Kenyans will avoid going there for medical care,” he said.
His remarks come days after reports claimed that seven American aid workers who had been deployed to support Ebola containment efforts in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) had been transferred to the Laikipia Air Base for a mandatory 21-day quarantine.
The aid workers, who are employed by the Christian humanitarian organisation Samaritan’s Purse, were reportedly placed under observation despite showing no signs of Ebola infection.
Samaritan’s Purse CEO Franklin Graham confirmed that the seven Americans were in quarantine, stressing that none of them had developed symptoms of the disease.
“Samaritan’s Purse has seven American Disaster Assistance Response Team staff members there. None of them has any symptoms, but they are being quarantined by the Kenyan government for 21 days,” Graham told Reuters.
A U.S. State Department official also confirmed that the aid workers voluntarily travelled to the Laikipia facility as a precaution after taking part in Ebola response operations in eastern DRC.
According to the official, the Kenyan government has sanctioned their stay at the facility, which is currently being monitored by clinicians from the U.S. Public Health Service throughout the quarantine period.
Further clarifying on the matter, the State Department stressed that the decision was made out of precaution and that the workers were found to be Ebola-free.
In his comments about the issue, Duale pointed out that there should have been a focus on the American aid workers, since Kenya has also quarantined a number of people in its preparations against the deadly disease.
“I do not understand why there has been so much attention on the Americans. We have also quarantined many people, including some members of the President’s staff, for 21 days,” he explained.
