An increasing number of individuals and entities in Kenya have expressed their opposition to a plan by the U.S. to establish an Ebola quarantine centre locally to treat Americans exposed to the deadly virus disease that has left over 200 dead in the Democratic Republic of Congo. 

The opposition follows media reports late on Wednesday that stated that Washington is establishing a treatment centre in Kenya instead of flying Americans exposed to Ebola back to the U.S.

"U.S. has got the Kenyan government to open up CDC facilities in Nairobi for monitoring and observing Americans coming out of DRC. Why are we allowing Americans coming from an area suspected to be with Ebola to come to Kenya when they can make a quarantine area in DRC?" asked Dr. Mukhisa Khituyi on Wednesday while appearing on late night JKLive show on Citizen TV.

1000 suspected cases

According to the Law Society of Kenya Chairman Charles Kanjama, Kenya should decline the request by the U.S. to host Americans exposed to the deadly virus that is now suspected to have attacked over 1000 people.

"We equally want to see the Kenya government take robust measures to avoid cases of Ebola from entering Kenya. 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," posted Kanjama on X on Thursday.

He added: "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."

Already, the Trump administration has ordered the U.S. military to set up the facility in Kenya within seven days, The Washington Post revealed, citing White House officials.

Reports indicate that the quarantine centre will house U.S. nationals who have been exposed to the deadly virus in biocontainment structures imported from America.

Early plans indicate the 50-bed unit has the potential to be transformed into a 250-bed quarantine centre. Additionally, officers from the U.S. Public Health Service are reportedly being trained at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, in readiness for deployment to Nairobi.

Entry into America

The quarantine and treatment center will be designed for Ebola patients who need to get out of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) quickly for care, The Associated Press reported, citing an anonymous official.

It was not immediately clear where in Kenya the facility will be built or whether the Kenyan government has signed off on the plan, the report added.

The U.S. government this month flew an American doctor who developed symptoms to a hospital in Germany, and sent six other Americans for monitoring in Germany and the Czech Republic, the report said.

In early May, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued one-month suspension of entry into America for foreign nationals who had been in the DRC, Uganda or South Sudan in the past 21 days. 

Last week, however, this directive was expanded to include lawful permanent residents, or green card holders.

The number of suspected Ebola cases in the DRC has surpassed 1,000 as the outbreak continues to spread in the east of the country.

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