Kenyan doctors have issued a 48-hour strike notice, condemning their government's willingness to "trade national biosecurity and the lives of its citizens for foreign aid" as the U.S. plans to establish an Ebola quarantine facility in Kenya. This proposed facility would house Americans exposed to a rare type of Ebola virus spreading in northeastern Congo, diverting them from being flown home, while health workers in the Democratic Republic of Congo struggle with scant supplies to contain the outbreak of the Bundibugyo virus, which has no approved treatment or vaccine.
A U.S. administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed on Wednesday, two days ago, that the U.S. was planning to send Americans exposed to Ebola while abroad to a new facility in Kenya instead of repatriating them.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced in a statement that the U.S. government intends to commit $13.5 million toward Kenya’s Ebola preparedness efforts.
The High Court in Nairobi on Friday, the same day, suspended any deal on the Ebola facility until petitions against it are heard on Tuesday, four days later.
Imperial Risk Transfer and State Complicity
The Kenya Law Society, an organization challenging the plan, asked the court to nullify any agreements signed between the U.S. and Kenya on the project. They cited public health risks and a lack of public participation in the decision-making process.
The Law Society further stated that Kenya lacks “the high-containment infrastructure required to safely manage such a facility, exposing the public to serious health risks.”
Another organization, Katiba Institute, formed to defend Kenya’s Constitution, separately challenged any presence of Ebola-related facilities.
The Kenyan government itself only revealed discussions with the U.S. on support for Ebola preparedness, without explicitly addressing the proposed quarantine facility. It remains unclear where in Kenya the new facility will be built or whether the Kenyan government has officially signed off on the plan.
Labor's Resistance and The Human Cost
Davji Atellah, chairperson of the Kenyan doctors’ union, stated that the U.S. was clear they would not allow Ebola on their soil, asserting that Kenya should not become another “dumping ground.”
Atellah emphasized the union's stance, saying, “As the vanguard of Kenya’s healthcare system, we are utterly disgusted by the government’s apparent willingness to trade national biosecurity and the lives of its citizens for foreign aid.” The union issued its 48-hour strike notice on Thursday, one day ago.
Meanwhile, the Congolese government has confirmed more than 1,000 suspected cases of the Bundibugyo virus, with at least 220 deaths, since it declared an outbreak 14 days ago on May 15.
The World Health Organization (WHO) suspects the virus had been spreading undetected for weeks and believes the actual scale of the outbreak is much larger than what has been reported by the government.
The virus has also reached neighboring Uganda, which has confirmed seven cases and one death, further highlighting the regional spread amidst inadequate resources.