Law Society of Kenya (LSK) President Charles Kanjama has opposed plans by the United States government to establish an Ebola quarantine and treatment centre in Kenya, arguing that treatment efforts should remain closer to the outbreak’s epicentre.
In a statement posted on his X account on Wednesday, May 28, Kanjama urged the Kenyan government to take stronger measures to prevent Ebola from entering the country amid the escalating outbreak in eastern Congo and Uganda.
“We equally want to see the Kenya government take robust measures to avoid cases of Ebola from entering Kenya,” Kanjama stated.
He further objected to reports that the US government intends to use Kenya as a regional treatment hub for American citizens infected during the outbreak.
“That includes declining the request by the US Government to set up an Ebola Treatment Centre in Kenya where Ebola patients from other countries will be flown in,” he said.
Kanjama argued that although Ebola patients deserve proper medical care and compassion, public health protocols require treatment facilities to be located near the source of infections to reduce risks associated with cross-border movement.
“Since all Ebola patients deserve access to the highest standard of medical care, and we owe them human solidarity even as we protect the healthy population, public health dictates require that the medical treatment facility and treatment isolation protocols be set up near the common epicentre of the infection. That is either in Eastern Congo or Western Uganda,” he added.
His remarks come after the White House confirmed plans to establish a quarantine and treatment facility in Kenya aimed at enabling rapid evacuation of Americans affected by the Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo without requiring long-haul flights back to the United States.
The proposal has sparked debate among public health experts, with some warning that transporting exposed or infected patients across borders could complicate containment efforts and raise ethical concerns surrounding access to treatment.
The discussion comes as the Ebola outbreak continues to spread across parts of eastern Congo and Uganda. Health authorities have reported hundreds of suspected infections and more than a hundred confirmed cases, prompting intensified contact tracing and isolation measures.
Uganda has also moved to close its border with Congo in a bid to contain the spread of the virus, despite guidance from the World Health Organization discouraging blanket border closures during outbreaks.
