Kenya is proceeding with a US-supported Ebola quarantine unit at Laikipia Air Base despite a temporary high court injunction. The 50-bed unit is intended for Americans potentially exposed in the DRC and is part of broader plans to boost isolation, surveillance and emergency-response capacity across Kenya. The DRC outbreak, declared May 15, involves the Bundibugyo strain and has caused at least 238 deaths and over 1,000 suspected infections; the virus has also spread to Uganda. Kenyan medical groups and civil society have raised concerns about transparency, safety and whether the facility would treat other nationalities.
Kenya Advances US-Backed Ebola Quarantine at Laikipia Air Base Despite High Court Injunction
WHO workers in Kenya pack essential medical supplies and emergency kits to support the affected regions in the Democratic Republic of Congo on May 18, 2026. - World Health Organization/Handout/Reuters
Kenya is moving forward with plans to host a US-backed Ebola quarantine and treatment unit at Laikipia Air Base, despite a Kenyan high court temporarily barring the arrangement earlier this week. The proposed facility is intended to receive Americans who may have been exposed to Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC); Kenya has not reported any confirmed Ebola cases.
Government Statement and Purpose
Kenya’s Ministry of Health said the unit will help strengthen the country's monitoring, isolation and emergency-response capacity. The ministry added that additional isolation and treatment centres will be established, including at Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi and the Kenya National Police Hospital.
US-Kenya Partnership
A US government source involved in the response told CNN that American personnel arrived at Laikipia Air Base — roughly 125 miles north of Nairobi — to support the facility. Kenya and US officials say the partnership will enhance surveillance, diagnostic capacity, emergency-preparedness exercises, delivery of critical medical supplies and rapid-response capabilities.
Legal Challenge and Public Opposition
The plan was swiftly challenged in court by the Katiba Institute, a Kenyan civil-society organization focused on constitutional issues. In orders issued late Thursday, High Court Judge Patricia Nyaundi temporarily barred Kenya from establishing or operating any Ebola-related facility under agreements with the US or other foreign governments and from admitting anyone exposed to or infected with the virus until the legal challenge is resolved. The case is scheduled to return to court on June 2.
The proposal has drawn criticism from Kenyan medical groups and civil society, who have raised concerns about transparency, public safety and the rationale for locating the unit in Kenya when the outbreak’s epicentre is in the DRC. The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) and the Law Society of Kenya warned that the plan could risk importing Ebola into the country.
A health worker wearing protective equipment crouches beside the coffin of a suspected Ebola victim during safe burial procedures outside a family home in the community of Mongbwaluon on May 24, 2026, in Mongbwalu, Ituri Province, Democratic Republic of Congo. - Michel Lunanga/Getty Images
Dr. Davji Bhimji Atellah, KMPDU secretary-general: “We need total transparency from the Kenyan government on why they agreed to take up this offer… If it is too dangerous for America, it is too dangerous for Kenya.”
Outbreak Details and International Context
The current outbreak in the DRC was officially declared on May 15 and is linked to the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, a relatively rare form for which there is no approved vaccine or proven treatment. Authorities say the outbreak has caused at least 238 deaths and more than 1,000 suspected infections. The virus has also spread into neighbouring Uganda, where officials reported one death and at least seven confirmed cases.
Suspected cases have been investigated outside the outbreak zone: Brazilian authorities reported a suspected case in São Paulo involving a traveller from the DRC who is isolated pending laboratory confirmation; two travellers in India were quarantined and later tested negative; and two suspected cases in Italy were also ruled out after testing.
US Response and Logistics
US officials described the proposed unit as a 50-bed quarantine capability that would provide rapid access to care and quarantine for Americans departing the DRC, avoiding lengthy transport back to the United States. A US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps team — reportedly including physicians, nurses, laboratory technologists, mental health professionals and engineers, some with prior Ebola response experience in Liberia — was announced to support care, monitoring and quarantine operations.
Kenyan critics say it remains unclear whether the planned facility would accept patients of other nationalities, a lack of clarity that has heightened public concern. The proposal also comes amid renegotiations of US aid funding for Kenyan health programmes under a new US global health strategy.
Regional Risk
Although confirmed cases in this outbreak have been reported only in the DRC and Uganda, the Red Cross has warned that multiple African countries are at risk, including Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic, the Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, South Sudan and Zambia.
Note: This report synthesises available public statements and media reporting. Some details remain subject to official clarification and the outcome of ongoing legal review.
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