Government Told to Halt Proposal to Set Up Ebola Quarantine Facility in the Country

By Mbingu Harrison

Email, thecoastnewspaper@gmail.com

The Kenya Association of Physicians (KAP) has opposed the Ministry of Health’s plan to open an Ebola quarantine and treatment facility in Kenya for patients managed on behalf of the US government citing biosecurity risks and lack of transparency.

In a press statement, KAP President Dr Erick Njenga said the proposal was made without involving key stakeholders including infectious disease specialists and physicians.

“KAP is profoundly concerned by the complete lack of transparency surrounding this initiative and the total exclusion of key stakeholders, including infectious disease specialists and physicians from the decision-making process,” Dr Njenga said.

The doctor warned that the specific Ebola strain in question poses significant risk because it has no known vaccine or treatment, and diagnostic capability in Kenya remains limited with no validated testing tool.

“Regardless of the very best containment strategies, the risk of exposure to the local community remains a real risk, which we cannot afford to take,” he said.

Dr Njenga questioned the rationale behind the agreement, noting that the United States government has stated it would not allow Ebola cases within its own borders despite having superior containment infrastructure.

“If the risk is deemed too severe for America, it beggars belief that the Kenyan government seems willing to expose its citizens to it under the cover of global responsibility,” he said.

The association urged the government to suspend the process immediately and prioritize national health security.

“We urge the government to halt this process immediately, prioritize national health security, and engage local medical experts,” he said.

KAP, the umbrella body for all medical subspecialty groups in Kenya, said it remained open to working with the ministry to develop safe and transparent protocols if such facilities are considered in future.