Kenya’s Health Minister, Aden Barre Duale, has been found guilty of contempt of court over his role in the construction of a controversial Ebola quarantine facility funded by the United States, according to reports.The ruling follows a legal dispute surrounding the construction of a 50-bed isolation center located at a military base in Nanyuki, approximately 140 kilometers north of the capital, Nairobi.
Last month, Kenya’s High Court ordered the suspension of the project pending the hearing of a case filed by the Katiba Institute, a human rights organization that challenged the legality and public health implications of the facility.However, on Monday, a judge ruled that Minister Duale disregarded the court order by allowing construction activities to continue despite the suspension directive.
The minister is expected to appear in court for sentencing on Tuesday.The quarantine facility was designed to accommodate United States citizens suspected of exposure to Ebola during the ongoing outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).The project has sparked widespread controversy and public protests in Nanyuki. Demonstrations turned deadly when police attempted to disperse crowds opposing the facility.
At least three people were reported killed during the unrest.Among the victims was 17-year-old high school student Sylvester Muigai Ndung’u, who reportedly sustained a fatal gunshot wound to the head. Witnesses claim he was shot during the demonstrations, although police stated that they are awaiting official postmortem results to determine the exact cause of death.
The lawsuit filed by the Katiba Institute in May argued that the quarantine center posed a “serious and immediate public health risk” to local communities and sought to halt construction until a full judicial review could be conducted.Kenya’s Ministry of Health has consistently denied violating the court order,
maintaining that the ongoing construction was solely intended to strengthen the country’s preparedness against potential Ebola outbreaks.Nevertheless, Justice Patricia Nyaundi ruled that the government could not circumvent the court’s directive by redefining or renaming the nature of the project.“The court order was not an invitation for creative interpretation; it was a directive that required compliance,”
the judge stated.Justice Nyaundi further noted that Minister Duale fully understood the order requiring construction activities in Nanyuki to stop, yet permitted work to continue.In recent weeks, Kenyan President William Ruto has defended the US-funded quarantine facility, arguing that Kenya had received a humanitarian request from the United States and that refusing assistance would have been irresponsible.
The president also urged citizens and political leaders not to politicize the Ebola issue, describing the disease as a serious public health threat that should be addressed responsibly.As of Monday, Kenya had not recorded any confirmed Ebola cases.The current outbreak has primarily affected the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where more than 1,000 confirmed cases have been reported, as well as neighboring Uganda, which has recorded approximately 20 confirmed infections, most linked to cross-border transmission from the DRC.
The proposal has also faced strong opposition from the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU), one of the country’s largest medical organizations.KMPDU questioned why Kenya was selected to host a quarantine center intended primarily for American citizens potentially exposed to Ebola abroad.
The union’s Secretary-General, Davji Bhimji Atellah, argued that Kenya should not be used as a containment hub for a disease outbreak originating outside its borders.“Kenya must not be treated as a colony for managing a dangerous disease that our country did not create,” Atellah said.
The United States has pledged approximately $13.5 million in support of Kenya’s Ebola preparedness efforts,
according to officials from the US State Department.The funding forms part of a broader $112 million regional initiative aimed at strengthening Ebola response measures across East and Central Africa.
The court ruling against Minister Duale is expected to intensify debate over public health policy, judicial independence, and foreign-funded health infrastructure projects in Kenya.
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