NAIROBI, Kenya — In a dramatic courtroom showdown on Tuesday, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale issued a formal apology to the High Court and ordered the immediate, complete cessation of all construction at the controversial U.S Ebola quarantine facility at the Laikipia Air Base.
The sudden capitulation comes just 24 hours after Justice Patricia Nyaundi Mande found the Health CS in contempt of court for deliberately ignoring explicit judicial orders issued in late May to halt all site preparations.
Facing potential sentencing and severe penalties for undermining judicial authority, Duale told the court that he had directed an absolute stop to any intended building, site preparation, or related operations near Nanyuki pending the final determination of the petition.
Caught on Satellite: Government Ignored Initial Orders
The legal row intensified following recent satellite imagery reviewed on June 22, which exposed a major military buildup on the base. The imagery revealed new paved zones, a massive cluster of freshly pitched tents, and containerized structures being erected—proving that construction had aggressively continued despite the High Court’s freeze order. Flight-tracking data also confirmed that aircraft loaded with specialized equipment and foreign personnel had consistently landed at the Laikipia base throughout the month.
Rights groups and local residents filed the initial petition, accusing the government of secretly entering into a Ksh1.7 Billion ($13.5 million) deal with Washington to build a 50-bed isolation facility without any public participation or environmental review.
CP24
The quarantine center was designed to host American personnel exposed to Ebola during the intense outbreak in the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
“Scientifically Unfounded” vs. Public Outrage
While offering his absolute apology to escape sentencing, Duale defended the medical logic of the US Ebola Facility project to the court. He maintained that public anxiety regarding the virus escaping the heavily guarded military base was “scientifically unfounded,” arguing the center would have ultimately boosted local emergency training and served Kenyan troops returning from peacekeeping missions in the DRC.
However, local resistance remains fiercely unyielding. The secret deal sparked explosive, deadly protests in Laikipia County earlier this month, resulting in three fatalities during clashes near the base. Critics have slammed the project, pointing out that Kenya has never recorded a single case of Ebola, and accusing the state of exposing citizens to a highly infectious pathogen in exchange for foreign aid.
With Duale’s official stand-down order, the entire U.S. operation grinds to an unexpected halt, marking a significant victory for local accountability and the rule of law. All eyes now shift back to the High Court as it prepares to hear the main constitutional petition. newsportal.co.ke
