Kenya has approved a plan by the United States to set up an Ebola quarantine facility in Laikipia County as fears grow over the spread of the deadly virus in East and Central Africa.
The facility, which will reportedly be established at an air force base in Laikipia, is part of a wider partnership between Kenya and the U.S. aimed at strengthening Ebola preparedness and emergency response systems.
The latest development follows a phone call between President William Ruto and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday, May 28, where the two leaders discussed the ongoing Ebola outbreak and regional response efforts.
According to a statement from the U.S. State Department, the American government has allocated almost Ksh1.74 billion in support of Kenya’s Ebola preparedness program.
Sources close to the talks reveal that Kenya has already provided its written approval for the U.S. to occupy space in Laikipia air base to set up the Ebola quarantine facility.
The facility is expected to open in a week’s time, starting with a 50-bed field hospital, with more beds to be added up to 250 should there be a need for expansion.
Further reports suggest that the center will primarily benefit Americans who become infected by Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighboring countries, making it possible for them to quarantine near outbreak sites rather than being flown straight to America.
“The facility is intended to offer access to quality care for Americans who will have to quickly leave DRC and quarantine without facing the dangers of travel across continents,” said a U.S. government official.
In addition, the center is supposed to be under the leadership of staff members from the U.S. Public Health Service, with a number of individuals currently in training in Maryland in preparation for deployment to Kenya.
This comes after growing concerns regarding the potential spread of the Ebola virus to other countries such as Uganda owing to its outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
At the beginning of the week, the Ministry of Health in Kenya had indicated that it was consulting the United States and other international organizations on the Ebola virus disease.
It was further reported that the country had advocated for the setting up of the facility not to be meant solely for the use by Americans but for all citizens in general, but it is unclear whether or not their request was honored.
Nevertheless, there has been backlash against this development from some groups in Kenya.
Lobby groups such as the Katiba Institute and the Law Society of Kenya filed a petition at the High Court of Kenya on Thursday in order to have the construction of any facility for quarantine and treatment of the disease by the United States government halted.
They are requesting for all information pertaining to the agreement, the biosafety approval, the environmental impact assessment, and emergency preparedness plan relating to the project.
