A Kenyan court on Friday temporarily halted the opening of an Ebola quarantine centre for US nationals following a petition filed by a rights group.
The facility was due to open on Friday in Kenya according to US officials, to quarantine Americans arriving from the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is battling a major Ebola outbreak.
The centre is set to have 50 isolation beds and be managed by US medical staff at Laikipia Air Base, about 200 kilometres (124 miles) from the capital, Nairobi.
“A conservatory order is hereby issued restraining the respondents from establishing… any Ebola exposure, quarantine, isolation or treatment facility in Kenya,” the court order reads.
Kenya has been testing arrivals and has yet to report any cases of Ebola on its territory from the current outbreak.
The east African country signed a health deal with the US in December last year, but the agreement is currently being challenged in court.
Katiba Institute, a Kenyan rights group behind the petition, argued the centre was being established in secrecy and unilaterally, saying it “raises grave constitutional concerns”.
Meanwhile, the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) condemned the move saying the government was trading “the lives of its citizens for foreign aid”.
Kenyan doctors have threatened industrial action if the negotiations are not made public.
Kenya’s health ministry has said it is willing to work with other countries, including the US, but has not directly addressed questions about the facility.
The Kenya government has 48 hours to respond to the petition.
A mention has been set for June 2.
