Kenya's Health Minister Aden Duale was found guilty of contempt of court after he continued construction of a US-funded Ebola quarantine facility at Laikipia Air Base near Nanyuki despite court orders to halt work [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7].
The facility is intended to isolate US citizens suspected of contracting Ebola amid the ongoing outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). It is planned to have about 50 isolation beds and be managed by US medical staff at the base, located roughly 200 km north of Nairobi [1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7].
The court ruled on June 22 that Duale was in contempt, citing his disregard of earlier stop-work orders issued on May 28 and reaffirmed in early June. Lady Justice Patricia Nyaundi said, "I find that in commissioning the ongoing construction of the facility at Laikipia, the 2nd respondent (Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale) is in continuing contempt of the orders of the court that were issued on May 28, 2026, and confirmed on June 2, 2026" [1, 2, 5, 7].
On June 23, Duale apologized to the court and ordered an immediate halt to all construction activities pending further orders. He stated, "I have directed the immediate and complete cessation of any intended construction, site preparation, or related activities concerning the Laikipia airbase facility pending the hearing and determination of the substantive petition or until further orders of this court" [3, 4, 6, 7].
The quarantine center has sparked protests near the site, during which three people were killed, including a 17-year-old boy shot in the head [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. Rights groups like the Katiba Institute filed petitions citing lack of public consultation and potential health risks [1, 2, 4, 5, 6]. Kenyan medical unions and civilians have voiced concerns over Ebola importation and government transparency [1, 5, 6].
Duale said the work continued due to a misunderstanding about the court order’s scope, arguing it applied only to bilateral arrangements, not broader preparedness. He also advised President William Ruto against traveling to Congo due to Ebola risk and cited Kenyan peacekeepers' exposure as justification for the quarantine facility [7].
President Ruto has defended the facility as a partnership with the US, which has pledged $13.5 million to support Kenya's Ebola preparedness. Ruto called refusal to build the center "inhuman" and said, "I gave the okay for the site because it was an agreement and a partnership with friends who have walked with Kenya for 30, 40 years" [1, 2, 5, 7].
As of late June, Kenya has reported no confirmed Ebola cases, unlike DRC which has recorded over 1,000 cases and 267 deaths, and Uganda with 20 cases and two deaths [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6].
The court’s next step is to impose sentencing on Minister Duale following the contempt ruling.
