The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) has threatened nationwide industrial action over reports of ongoing negotiations between the Kenyan government and the United States to establish an Ebola quarantine and treatment facility at Laikipia Air Base for American citizens exposed to the virus.
In a statement released on Thursday, KMPDU Secretary-General Dr Davji Bhimji Atellah said the proposal raises serious concerns about Kenya’s biosecurity and the state of the country’s healthcare system.
The union also questioned why Kenya had allegedly been selected to host exposed American citizens, noting that the current Bundibugyo strain Ebola outbreak is centred in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.
KMPDU called on Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to provide full transparency on the discussions and release details of the proposed agreement.
“If the United States believes the 12-hour medevac flight back to Washington is too dangerous for its citizens, by what logic is it safe to fly infected or exposed individuals into Kenyan airspace?” the statement said.
The union also criticised the government for allegedly prioritising a foreign-funded quarantine facility while public hospitals continue to face shortages of medicines, diagnostic supplies, and intensive care infrastructure.
“It is the height of irony that while the Ministry of Health says public facilities are underfunded, it is facilitating an international quarantine facility,” KMPDU said.
The doctors’ union noted that many Kenyan health facilities remain under-resourced even as patients continue to die from preventable illnesses.
KMPDU further raised concern over reports that the proposed facility could be staffed by members of the US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps instead of Kenyan healthcare workers.
The union argued that thousands of qualified Kenyan doctors and nurses remain unemployed or are working under poor contractual terms, despite the country facing a significant shortage of healthcare personnel.
“We will not tolerate an arrangement where Kenyan doctors are sidelined,” Atellah said.
KMPDU insisted that if the facility is established, Kenyan healthcare workers should be prioritised for employment and given proper pay, hazardous duty allowances, and medical cover.
The union further warned it would oppose any arrangement that excludes local healthcare workers from meaningful participation in the facility.
The criticism comes as the Katiba Institute has also filed a petition challenging the proposed establishment of the quarantine facility, raising concerns over public participation, transparency, and potential risks to Kenya’s health security.
KMPDU gave the government a 48-hour ultimatum to make the negotiations public, warning that it would mobilise industrial action if the agreement proceeded without addressing concerns raised by healthcare workers.
Meanwhile, the ongoing Ebola outbreak linked to the Bundibugyo strain has so far claimed more than 220 lives in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with health authorities warning that the virus continues to spread across parts of Central and East Africa.
According to the World Health Organisation, the outbreak is currently concentrated in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and neighbouring Uganda, where several confirmed infections and deaths have also been reported.
Health experts say the Bundibugyo strain remains particularly concerning because there is currently no approved specific treatment or vaccine for the variant, forcing countries to rely heavily on surveillance, isolation, contact tracing, and supportive care to contain its spread.
Recent reports indicate that the DRC has recorded more than 900 suspected cases and over 220 suspected deaths, while Uganda has confirmed several infections linked to cross-border transmission. The World Health Organisation has since declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, while the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention classified it as a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security.
In Kenya, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has maintained that the country has not recorded any confirmed Ebola case despite heightened regional transmission risks.
Duale said the government has intensified screening and surveillance measures at all entry points, including the Kenya–Uganda and Kenya–South Sudan borders, with mobile laboratories and holding areas already established to manage suspected cases. He also confirmed that three suspected Ebola cases and four contacts tested negative after isolation and laboratory analysis.
On the controversial proposal for a U.S.-backed Ebola quarantine facility, Duale said Kenya is engaging international partners under existing public health protocols and national laws. The Ministry of Health stated that discussions with the United States and other global partners are ongoing as part of broader regional Ebola preparedness and response efforts.
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