High Court orders Kenya government to release details of Ebola facility

Kenya’s High Court has ordered the government to disclose details of a proposed United States-linked Ebola quarantine facility, a day after hundreds of people took to the streets in the central town of Nanyuki to protest about the planned site.

The Reuters news agency said two people died from gunshot wounds during Monday’s unrest, citing protest organiser Patrick Wahome and a security source.

The court extended conservatory orders stopping the establishment of any Ebola quarantine, isolation or treatment facility in Kenya and barred the admission of individuals exposed to the virus.

It also ordered the cabinet secretary for health to make public the agreement details, health and biosafety assessments, regulatory approvals and operational protocols.

On Friday, the High Court had ordered the government to suspend the plan temporarily, after a lawsuit was brought arguing that the site could endanger public health.

Senior US officials said the 50-bed unit at an air force base in Laikipia County would serve Americans who have been exposed to the virus but are still asymptomatic.

Kenya’s government has pledged to proceed with plans to set up the facility, with Health Minister Aden Duale saying in a statement on Saturday that it was part of a broader effort to strengthen emergency response systems.

But critics of the plan say Kenya’s health infrastructure is too fragile to cope with the potential dangers.