Kenyans Reject US Ebola Quarantine Plan

Residents of the Kenyan town of Nanyuki have rejected a US plan to set up an Ebola quarantine facility at the local Laikipia Air Base for American citizens exposed to the virus. They fear the project would expose Kenya to unnecessary risk despite the absence of confirmed cases in the country and accuse Washington of double standards.

Tensions have risen in Kenya over the plan. Two people were killed during protests on Monday, according to protest organizers. Critics say the United States does not want to admit potentially infected patients to its own territory, but plans to house them in Kenya.

The World Health Organization has declared the current Ebola outbreak in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo a public health emergency of international concern. The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, for which there is no approved vaccine or specific treatment. No cases have yet been reported in Kenya.

The US center is expected to have 50 beds and 30 health workers. The project has been opposed by Kenyan medical workers and the Katiba Institute, a nonprofit organization that has challenged the plan in court. The High Court has temporarily blocked both the establishment of the facility and the entry of people exposed to Ebola into the country.

Kenyan President William Ruto has defended the plan as part of the country’s preparedness for health crises. However, the court has barred the government from proceeding with the project until further notice.

(guardian, bak)