Trump Orders US Military to Establish Ebola Quarantine Facility in Kenya Within Days
The United States military is reportedly preparing to establish a quarantine facility in Kenya within the next week to accommodate American citizens exposed to the Ebola virus, amid growing fears over the rapidly spreading outbreak in Central and East Africa.
According to reports emerging from Washington, the Trump administration has approved plans for a temporary medical and quarantine base in central Kenya as health officials race to contain the deadly virus, which has continued spreading across parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda.
Sources familiar with the operation revealed that the planned site will initially include a 50-bed field hospital capable of rapid expansion to as many as 250 beds if the outbreak worsens.
The facilities are expected to consist of prefabricated medical units that can be transported quickly by military aircraft and trucks, allowing American personnel to establish operations within days.
The project is reportedly being coordinated jointly by the U.S. Departments of State, Defense, and Health and Human Services.
According to officials cited by The Washington Post, Kenya was selected due to its strategic geographical position and relatively stable transport infrastructure, making it easier to evacuate and isolate Americans working in high-risk Ebola zones in the DRC.
“The facility is designed to provide access to high-quality care for Americans who would need to quickly get out of DRC and quarantine without the risks of a lengthy transport back to the U.S.,” one administration official stated.
The move comes amid growing concern after several Americans were reportedly exposed to the virus while operating in affected regions.
One American doctor exposed to Ebola has already undergone treatment in Germany, while six others were transferred to Germany and the Czech Republic for monitoring and isolation.
Reports further indicate that at least one American citizen has tested positive for Ebola inside the DRC, although U.S. authorities have not publicly disclosed whether additional infections among American nationals have since been confirmed.
The latest directive also follows remarks by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who on Wednesday, May 27, announced that no Ebola-infected individual — including American citizens — would be permitted to enter the United States as authorities intensify health screening measures at airports and border entry points.
“We are taking every precaution necessary to protect the American people,” Rubio said during a briefing on the escalating crisis.
Meanwhile, members of the U.S. Public Health Service have reportedly already begun emergency preparedness training at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland ahead of deployment to Kenya.
However, concerns have reportedly emerged within sections of the U.S. military over the speed of the preparations, with some officials privately questioning whether the three-day training programme is sufficient for personnel expected to operate in a high-risk infectious disease environment.
In Kenya, government officials have sought to reassure the public that the country remains fully prepared to respond to any potential Ebola threat.
Health Cabinet Secretary Adan Duale announced on May 27 that Kenya had activated its National Incident Management System (IMS), intensified surveillance at all points of entry, designated specialised laboratories for Ebola testing, and strengthened coordination between national and county health agencies.
Authorities have also heightened monitoring measures at airports and border crossings as fears grow over the possibility of cross-border transmission from neighbouring countries.
The Ebola virus, which causes severe haemorrhagic fever, remains one of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases, with outbreaks often triggering international concern due to its high fatality rate and rapid spread in vulnerable regions.
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