5 questions about Kenya’s Ebola quarantine center for Americans

1. What is this quarantine center, and why was it being built in Kenya?

The United States planned to send Americans exposed to Ebola while abroad to a new facility in Kenya rather than flying them back home. The U.S. government committed $13.5 million toward the project as part of Kenya’s broader Ebola preparedness efforts.

2. Why did a Kenyan court order construction to stop?

Kenya’s High Court halted construction in May following a legal challenge from the Law Society of Kenya and the Katiba Institute, a constitutional watchdog. The groups argued that Kenya’s fragile health system was not equipped to handle a potential Ebola outbreak.

3. What happened when construction continued anyway?

Construction pressed on despite the court order, sparking a series of local protests during which three people died. Kenya’s Health Minister Aden Duale was found in contempt of court on Monday and ordered to appear at a sentencing hearing the following day.

4. What happened at the contempt sentencing hearing?

Duale apologized at Tuesday’s hearing, saying it was never his intention to defy the court’s orders. The court accepted his apology and took no further action against him.

5. Where does the project stand now?

Duale ordered construction suspended Tuesday, the same day as the contempt hearing. He nonetheless defended the facility, arguing that fears it could introduce Ebola into surrounding communities were “scientifically unfounded.”

For more on this report, read “Kenya’s health minister orders suspension of construction on a U.S.-backed Ebola facility” from The Associated Press, published on The Washington Times.