Katiba Institute has raised concerns over reports that seven foreign nationals potentially exposed to Ebola have been quarantined at the Laikipia Air Base facility, saying any transfer of exposed individuals to the site would amount to a violation of active High Court conservatory orders that halted its establishment and operationalisation.
In a brief statement on Saturday, the constitutional advocacy organisation said it was closely following reports that the individuals had been admitted into Kenya and placed under quarantine at the contested facility.
The Institute said that, should reports of the transfer under a bilateral arrangement be confirmed, the move would raise serious constitutional and public safety concerns, arguing that court orders must be respected.
“Court orders, constitutionalism and public safety should not be ignored,” the institute said. “We have been closely following the deeply alarming news reports indicating that seven foreign nationals, potentially exposed to the Ebola virus, have been admitted to Kenya and placed under quarantine at the contested Laikipia Air Base facility.”
It reiterated that any action taken in disregard of court directives would undermine constitutional principles and public trust.
“Should reports of a transfer of exposed individuals under a bilateral agreement be true, this is an absolute outrage. It represents a flagrant and dangerous defiance of the active High Court conservatory orders that explicitly halted the establishment and operationalisation of this secretive site,” Katiba Institute said.
The statement comes after Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan’s Purse, confirmed that seven American aid workers who had been supporting the Ebola response in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) were transported to Kenya for a mandatory 21‑day isolation period.
A protester in Nanyuki carries a white cross marked with the words “Reject Ebola” during demonstrations against the proposed Ebola quarantine facility in Laikipia County on June 9, 2026. (Photo: Courtesy)
Senior Counsel Paul Muite also called on the government to issue an official statement explaining the circumstances surrounding the quarantine arrangement and whether the move complied with court orders.
“Can GoK issue a public statement on this? Are US citizens quarantined in Nanyuki Airbase in contempt of court orders? Are there no concerns by GoK of an Ebola breakout in Kenya?” Muite questioned.
The controversy has also triggered debate among Kenyans on social media, with users questioning the status of the Laikipia Air Base facility and whether government assurances on compliance with court orders were honoured.
Some users questioned whether the facility had been completed despite earlier statements that its establishment had been halted, while others raised concerns over the safety of residents living near the site in Nanyuki.
“It means court orders were ignored, and the facility was actually put up,” one user posted on X, while another asked: “This is disturbing news. What about us? We live here in Nanyuki. What next for us?”
Several users accused state officials of undermining constitutional processes, with one writing: “Just another ordinary day in Kenya where sworn words under oath become disposable, and accountability is declared missing while impunity takes a victory lap.”
Others criticised what they described as unequal treatment involving foreign nationals, with one user posting: “The US is above the law. They know what's best for them [and] the whole world.”
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