Duale Breaks Silence on Claims Seven Americans Are Quarantined at Laikipia Ebola Facility
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has dismissed claims that seven American humanitarian workers are being quarantined at the controversial U.S.-funded Ebola facility at Laikipia Air Base, insisting that construction of the site was halted following a court order.
Speaking on Wednesday, July 22, while receiving an emergency Ebola response consignment donated by India, Duale rejected reports linking the aid workers to the disputed facility, maintaining that the government had fully complied with judicial directives regarding the project.
The CS said construction at the Laikipia quarantine centre was suspended immediately after the court ruling, while work continues at the remaining 22 Ebola preparedness and response sites across the country.
“When I appeared before court, I committed that I would respect the rule of law. We have stopped building the quarantine centre in Laikipia. We are only building the other 22 sites. You can go there and see and come and tell me,” Duale said.
His remarks come amid growing public scrutiny over Kenya’s Ebola preparedness strategy and renewed debate surrounding the Laikipia Air Base facility, whose construction attracted legal challenges and public concern over transparency.
Government Defends Secrecy Over Quarantine Centres
Duale also defended the government’s refusal to publicly identify the locations of Ebola isolation and quarantine facilities, arguing that revealing such information could discourage Kenyans from seeking treatment at affected hospitals.
According to the Health CS, disclosing the facilities would risk creating unnecessary fear and stigma among members of the public.
“We will not disclose where our isolation and quarantine centres are located. If I say, for instance, this hospital is a quarantine centre, even Kenyans will not go to that hospital,” he explained.
The government has repeatedly maintained that confidentiality over quarantine sites forms part of its broader public health strategy to ensure effective disease surveillance without causing panic.
Reports Claimed Seven Americans Were Under Quarantine
Duale’s clarification follows reports published last week alleging that seven American humanitarian workers had been transferred to the Laikipia Air Base facility for a mandatory 21-day quarantine after participating in Ebola response operations in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The workers are members of the Christian humanitarian organisation Samaritan’s Purse, which has been supporting efforts to contain the Ebola outbreak in neighbouring DRC.
The organisation’s Chief Executive Officer, Franklin Graham, confirmed that the seven Americans had been placed under quarantine despite showing no symptoms of Ebola.
“Samaritan’s Purse has seven American Disaster Assistance Response Team staff members there. None of them has any symptoms, but they are being quarantined by the Kenyan government for 21 days,” Graham told Reuters.
The U.S. State Department also confirmed that the aid workers voluntarily relocated to the Kenyan facility as a precautionary measure after completing their assignments in eastern DRC.
According to U.S. officials, the Kenyan government authorised their admission, while clinicians from the U.S. Public Health Service continue monitoring them throughout the isolation period.
The State Department stressed that the quarantine was purely precautionary and that none of the humanitarian workers had tested positive for Ebola or exhibited symptoms of the virus.
‘Why Focus Only on Americans?’
Addressing journalists during Wednesday’s event, Duale questioned why attention had centred on the American aid workers, saying Kenya had similarly quarantined numerous other individuals as part of its Ebola prevention protocols.
He disclosed that those placed under observation had included members of President William Ruto’s staff, insisting that the country’s response measures apply equally regardless of nationality.
“I do not know why you are only asking about the Americans. We have quarantined many people, including the staff of the President, for 21 days,” Duale said.
His comments come as Kenya continues strengthening surveillance along its borders and enhancing preparedness measures to prevent the spread of Ebola from neighbouring countries experiencing outbreaks.
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