Kenyan court blocks opening of U.S. Ebola quarantine center on air base

Nairobi — A Kenyan court on Friday temporarily halted the opening of an Ebola quarantine center for U.S. nationals following a petition filed by a rights group. The facility had been due to open Friday in Kenya, according to U.S. officials, to quarantine Americans arriving from the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is battling a major Ebola outbreak.

The center is set to have 50 isolation beds and be managed by U.S. medical staff at Laikipia Air Base, about 124 miles from the capital, Nairobi.

Trump administration officials said earlier this week that the facility was being designed to provide access to high-quality care for Americans who need to quickly get out of Congo and quarantine without the risks of a lengthy trip back to the U.S.

As of Thursday, the U.S. was not aware of any exposed Americans who were to be transported to the center, senior administration officials told CBS News.

Another administration official said the government was planning for a facility that would serve “asymptomatic individuals” who may have been exposed to Ebola, in cooperation with the Kenyan government.

The Kenyan court said Friday that “a conservatory order is hereby issued restraining the respondents from establishing …  any Ebola exposure, quarantine, isolation or treatment facility in Kenya.”

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 U.S. in December last year, but the agreement is currently being challenged in court.

Katiba Institute, a Kenyan rights group behind the petition, argues that the center 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 U.S., but has not directly addressed questions about the facility.

The Kenya government has 48 hours to respond to the petition.