Kenya Defies US, Halts Construction of Ebola Quarantine Centre

Kenya’s Health Minister has ordered a halt to the construction of an Ebola quarantine centre for American citizens, after he was found guilty of contempt of court for defying an earlier order to stop the project. Previously, officials in President Donald Trump’s administration stated that the US would not fly home citizens exposed to Ebola while abroad, instead placing them in a new facility in Kenya. However, in May, Kenya’s High Court ordered the construction to cease pending a ruling on a case filed by the Law Society of Kenya and the constitutional watchdog, the Katiba Institute, which argued that Kenya’s fragile health system would be unable to handle a potential Ebola outbreak. Despite the court order, construction continued under the instruction of Health Minister Aden Duale, leading to a series of local protests in which three people died. On Monday, Duale was found guilty of contempt of court and ordered to attend a sentencing hearing on Tuesday, where he apologised and stated he never intended to “ignore, undermine, or act against the court order.” The court accepted his apology and took no further action against the minister. Duale continued to defend the quarantine centre, calling concerns that the facility posed a threat to local residents scientifically unfounded. It was reported that the US government intended to allocate US$13.5 million for Kenya’s Ebola preparedness efforts.