U.S. deploys military personnel to Kenya to support Laikipia Ebola facility
U.S. deploys military personnel to Kenya to support Laikipia Ebola facility
The United States has dispatched military personnel to Kenya to support the construction and operationalisation of a controversial Ebola quarantine facility at Laikipia Air Base, despite a court order temporarily halting the project.
The deployment, confirmed by the U.S. State Department to Stars and Stripes, comes as the Ksh1.7 billion facility remains at the centre of a legal battle and growing public opposition.
The number of troops sent to Laikipia has not been disclosed. However, the personnel deployed under the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) include medical, engineering, communications, security and contract planning specialists.
It remains unclear what role the troops will play while construction of the 50-bed temporary Ebola isolation facility remains suspended following conservatory orders issued by the High Court.
The court orders were granted after Katiba Institute filed a petition challenging the agreement between Kenya and the United States, arguing that the project was shrouded in secrecy and lacked sufficient public participation.
The court subsequently barred the construction and operationalisation of the facility pending the hearing and determination of the case.
According to the arrangement between Kenya and the U.S., the centre is intended to triage, isolate and monitor American citizens, including aid workers, military personnel and health officials who may be exposed to Ebola outbreaks in the region.
The facility is linked to ongoing Ebola outbreaks in East and Central Africa, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, where the disease has claimed at least 139 lives.
Under the plan, the U.S. military will not provide frontline medical care. Instead, AFRICOM says it will rely on its rapid-response logistics capabilities to support broader U.S. government operations.
“AFRICOM is not involved in other activities regarding Ebola, however the command remains postured to support tasking if and when directed,” the State Department told Stars and Stripes.
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The agreement further provides that the facility will be staffed entirely by the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps rather than military medical personnel.
The project has sparked public outrage, protests and criticism from sections of civil society, who have questioned both the location of the facility and the manner in which the agreement was negotiated.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has defended the project, arguing that the facility will help protect Kenyan soldiers deployed in the Democratic Republic of Congo alongside American personnel.
However, Duale said on Friday that further construction had been paused to comply with the court orders even as the government maintained its support for the project.
The case is scheduled to come up for mention before the High Court on Tuesday, June 16.
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