Kenya’s Health Minister, Aden Duale, has ordered an immediate halt to the construction of a controversial, US-funded Ebola quarantine facility. The decision came just one day after a judge found him in contempt of court for ignoring a previous judicial ruling to pause the project.
Appearing in court on Tuesday, Duale apologized to the bench and confirmed he had “directed the immediate and complete cessation” of all building activities at the military base in Nanyuki.
The legal battle began last month when the High Court ordered a temporary halt to the construction of the 50-bed isolation facility, pending a hearing for a lawsuit filed by a human rights organization. However, by Monday, a judge determined that Duale had disregarded that injunction by allowing work on the site to proceed.
The facility was designed to isolate American citizens suspected of contracting Ebola amid an active outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Duale’s presence in the courtroom represented a rare moment in Kenya, where a sitting minister faced potential legal penalties for defying the judiciary. The situation highlighted the intensifying political and legal friction surrounding the project.
“I sincerely regret any action or omission, misunderstanding or misinterpretation that may have resulted in non-compliance of the order of this court or created the perception thereof,” Duale told the court.
He further defended his record, stating that he would be “the last person to defy a court order,” pointing to his lengthy career in public service and his past contributions to the nation’s legislative processes.
High Court Judge Patricia Nyaundi accepted his apology, stating that the minister was “discharged with a stern warning.” This decision came despite demands from the plaintiffs’ legal team, who had petitioned the judge to sentence Duale to a 15-month prison term.
Addressing the future of the project, Duale noted that both the Kenyan and United States governments have mutually agreed to suspend their joint initiative on the Ebola center in compliance with the court’s directives.
Despite the initial stop-work order, satellite imagery analyzed by BBC Verify from Planet Labs indicated that construction had actually progressed.
Images captured on June 20 showed additional tents erected and more ground covered with tarmac or crushed stone compared to June 8. A perimeter dirt road appeared to have been paved, and further vegetation had been cleared along the site’s western and southern borders, revealing at least eight white objects resembling small tents or vehicles.
The proposed quarantine center has triggered intense local backlash and violent demonstrations in Nanyuki, located roughly 140 kilometers (87 miles) north of Nairobi. Three individuals have lost their lives during clashes as police moved to disperse the crowds.
Among the victims was Sylvester Muigai Ndung’u, a 17-year-old student who aspired to enter the priesthood. While eyewitnesses reported that he was shot in the head, law enforcement authorities told the BBC they are awaiting autopsy results to officially establish the cause of death.
