NAIROBI — Kenya has granted the United States formal approval to establish an Ebola quarantine facility at a military air base in central Kenya, as East African countries intensify efforts to contain a fast-spreading outbreak of the deadly virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), U.S. officials told news agencies.
The quarantine center will be located at Laikipia Air Base in Nanyuki, about 200 kilometers north of Nairobi, and is expected to become operational within days. The facility will initially include a 50-bed isolation unit designed to monitor and quarantine Americans exposed to the Ebola virus during humanitarian or medical missions in the region.
According to U.S. officials familiar with the plan, the facility will be staffed by members of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, a uniformed branch under the Department of Health and Human Services. More than 30 American public health officers have reportedly been placed on standby for deployment to Kenya.
The move comes as health authorities struggle to contain a major Ebola outbreak centered in eastern Congo and neighboring Uganda. The World Health Organization (WHO) recently declared the outbreak of the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola a “public health emergency of international concern,” warning that the disease is spreading faster than international response efforts.
Health officials say the current outbreak has already recorded more than 900 suspected cases and over 200 suspected deaths, although experts fear the real number could be significantly higher because of limited testing and insecurity in conflict-affected areas.
The Bundibugyo strain has raised particular concern among international health experts because there is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment available for it. Ebola is transmitted through direct contact with infected bodily fluids and can cause severe fever, internal bleeding, organ failure and death.
Kenya’s Health Ministry confirmed it was in discussions with the United States and international partners regarding Ebola response cooperation, although it stopped short of publicly confirming details of the quarantine facility.
“We are in discussions with the U.S. government and other global partners on collaborative efforts to respond to the Ebola outbreak,” the ministry said in a statement.
Kenyan officials have reportedly pushed for the facility to be made available to all nationalities rather than exclusively for U.S. citizens. However, it remains unclear whether Washington has accepted that proposal.
The decision has sparked debate inside Kenya, with some legal and public health experts questioning why the United States is choosing to quarantine exposed citizens abroad instead of repatriating them for treatment at specialized medical facilities back home. Critics also warn the policy could discourage humanitarian workers from volunteering in Ebola-affected areas.
Under the new U.S. strategy, Americans exposed to Ebola will first be isolated in Kenya and monitored for symptoms. If they later test positive, they could be transferred to medical facilities in Europe rather than the United States. American doctors exposed to the virus have already been sent to Germany and the Czech Republic for monitoring and treatment.
The approach marks a major shift from previous U.S. Ebola responses, including the 2014 West Africa outbreak, when infected Americans were flown directly to specialized treatment centers inside the United States.
Meanwhile, Kenya’s High Court on Friday temporarily suspended implementation of the quarantine plan after rights groups filed a legal challenge arguing that the agreement lacked public participation and parliamentary oversight. The court ordered the Kenyan government not to admit Ebola-exposed or infected individuals under the arrangement until further hearings are conducted.
The next court hearing is expected early next week as pressure grows on regional governments to strengthen surveillance and border screening measures against the spread of Ebola across East and Central Africa.
