NAIROBI: Around 20 flights carrying medical equipment and specialist staff have landed at a base in Kenya where the US government is continuing to build an Ebola quarantine facility despite protests and court orders blocking it, according to flight data and officials.
At least two people have been killed in protests in the central Kenyan town of Nanyuki, home to the Kenyan air force base where the US military is building a 50-bed unit for Americans who might be exposed to the virus, which has infected hundreds in Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. A US diplomatic cable, part of which was seen by Reuters, said Kenya’s President William Ruto may have underestimated domestic opposition to the plan, which has triggered criticism the US is offloading the risk of caring for its own patients.
A Kenyan court first ordered work on the Ebola facility to be suspended on May 28, yet US military flights into Nanyuki continued in the days that followed, according to data from flight-tracking service Flightradar24.
The data showed at least six military aircraft, including C-130 and C-17 transport planes, had landed in Nanyuki since May 24, with three landing after the court order. The planes have brought in technical equipment as well as dozens of physicians, engineers, lab experts and construction workers, but no patients, according to a US official, who asked not to be identified. The US embassy in Nairobi said on Wednesday it was aware of the court action and it was “working with the Kenyan government to resolve any objections”. Ruto has defended approving the facility, telling reporters on Monday: “We are a responsible government. We know what we are doing.” He did not comment on the court order.
Around 20 flights had landed between May 23 and May 31, according to the US official and another source with direct knowledge of the matter. “They have got everything and everyone in, except any patients,” according to the second source. On Tuesday, a Kenyan court blocked the plan for a further three weeks and ordered the government to disclose its agreement with Washington. But the second source said work was continuing and the facility could be ready by Thursday. The US official said flights were temporarily paused on Monday due to confusion over the court order, but resumed on Wednesday after Kenyan authorities gave the green light. Further specialised testing kits and protective gear will be flown in soon.
In the cable, sent to Washington on June 2, the embassy in Nairobi flagged that anger over the Ebola facility came on top of pressure on Ruto’s government stemming from rising fuel prices and the imminent anniversary of anti-government protests that killed dozens in 2024. “In agreeing to host the bio-isolation facility, President Ruto may have underestimated the depth and intensity of public opposition,” the US cable said. Ruto said the facility was part of a wider plan to prepare Kenya for any Ebola cases and was in line with a health partnership with Washington, which includes $13.5 million for Kenya’s preparedness effort.
The US State Department said on Wednesday that any US citizen who was at high risk of exposure to Ebola but had not yet shown symptoms could be transported to the facility in Kenya, where they would spend 21 days in quarantine. Anyone who developed symptoms would then be transported elsewhere for treatment. Kenyan officials claim the facility will be open to locals, but Trump administration officials noted it would prioritise US citizens. The plan has also met with opposition from US healthcare experts who warn it could discourage frontline responders from deploying to outbreak zones.
ലഘു വിവരണം
കോടതി നിർദ്ദേശങ്ങളും ജനകീയ പ്രതിഷേധങ്ങളും മറികടന്ന് കെനിയയിൽ അമേരിക്കൻ സൈന്യം 50 ബെഡ് ഉള്ള എബോള ക്വാറന്റൈൻ ഫെസിലിറ്റി നിർമ്മിക്കുന്നതിനായി 20 ഓളം വിമാനങ്ങളിൽ മെഡിക്കൽ ഉപകരണങ്ങളും വിദഗ്ധരെയും എത്തിച്ചു. കെനിയൻ പ്രസിഡന്റ് വില്യം റൂട്ടോ ഇതിനെ അനുകൂലിക്കുമ്പോൾ, സ്വന്തം രാജ്യത്തെ എബോള രോഗികളെ കെനിയയിൽ പാർപ്പിക്കാനുള്ള യുഎസ് നീക്കത്തിനെതിരെ വലിയ ജനരോഷമാണ് ഉയരുന്നത്. പ്ലാൻ അനുസരിച്ച് എബോള ലക്ഷണങ്ങൾ കാണിക്കാത്ത യുഎസ് പൗരന്മാരെ 21 ദിവസം ഇവിടെ നിരീക്ഷണത്തിൽ പാർപ്പിക്കും.
(With inputs from NTV)
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