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A Kenyan rights group has proceeded to court to challenge plans to set up an Ebola quarantine centre for US citizens in the country.
The United States (US) is reportedly building a “state-of-the-art” facility in Kenya to quarantine Americans returning from the Democratic Republic of Congo, where a major Ebola outbreak is ongoing.
The Katiba Institute said it filed a petition to stop the facility and block entry of people exposed to the virus, arguing the plan was made in secrecy. It said the move “raises grave constitutional concerns.”
Public health expert Jean Kaseya warned that the facility could put extra pressure on Kenya’s health system.
“Adding an international quarantine responsibility for foreign nationals could stretch their national capacities… If it’s not well supported by additional resources,” Kaseya said.
Kenya’s medical union also criticised the plan, calling it “backdoor negotiations” and threatening possible strike action if details are not made public.
“We are utterly disgusted by the government’s apparent willingness to trade national biosecurity and the lives of its citizens for foreign aid,” the union said.
The union’s secretary general added: “If it is too dangerous for America, it is too dangerous for Kenya.”
Kenya has said it is willing to cooperate with other countries but has not given full details about the facility.
The World Health Organisation says the Ebola outbreak has caused over 10 confirmed and 223 suspected deaths in the DRC, with more than 1,000 cases recorded. Uganda has also reported at least seven cases.
No vaccine or treatment exists for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which is behind the current outbreak.
