Kenya Health Minister Aden Duale Halts US‑Backed Ebola Facility After Contempt Ruling

Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Health, Aden Duale, was found in contempt of the High Court for allowing work on a US‑funded Ebola quarantine facility at Laikipia Air Base to continue despite a May injunction. In court on 22‑23 June 2026, Duale apologized, assured the judge that all construction, site preparation and related activities were stopped, and pledged to respect future orders. Justice Patricia Nyaundi accepted the apology, discharged Duale with a warning and extended the injunction until a hearing on 23 July 2024, but imposed no immediate penalty. The halted project, financed with about $13.5 million from the United States, was intended to house American citizens exposed to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Opposition groups, notably the Katiba Institute, and local residents protested the plan, resulting in three deaths during clashes. Kenya has recorded no Ebola cases, while the outbreak in the DRC has exceeded 1,000 confirmed infections. The court’s decision underlines Kenya’s judicial authority over public‑health projects and the tension between international aid and domestic legal processes.