By: Betty Luke
Katiba Institute has urged the government to publicly address reports that seven American aid workers potentially exposed to Ebola are being isolated at the Laikipia Air Base, warning that the allegations raise serious constitutional questions if they are accurate.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the constitutional watchdog emphasized that it was responding to media reports and said any use of the disputed facility, if confirmed, would contradict existing High Court Conservatory orders.
“We have been closely following the deeply alarming news reports indicating that seven foreign nationals, potentially exposed to the Ebola virus, have been admitted to Kenya and placed under quarantine at the contested Laikipia Air Base facility,” the institute said.
It maintained that the reported transfer would be unacceptable if undertaken while the court orders remain in force.
“Should reports of a transfer of exposed individuals under a bilateral agreement be true, this is an absolute outrage that represents a flagrant and dangerous defiance of a court order,” the statement said.
Katiba Institute further argued that adherence to court decisions is fundamental to constitutional governance.
“Executive impunity cannot be allowed to override the Constitution or the safety of our citizens.
Any Kenyan government official who authorized, facilitated, or turned a blind eye to this blatant violation of court directives is in breach of their oath of office and completely betrayed the public trust,” noted the organization.
The concerns emerged after Samaritan’s Purse President Franklin Graham announced that seven American aid workers involved in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ebola response had been flown to Kenya to undergo a mandatory 21-day isolation period.
The controversy has revived debate over the Laikipia Air Base quarantine facility, whose establishment was challenged in court by Katiba Institute and other petitioners.
Earlier this year, the High Court issued conservatory orders suspending the facility’s establishment and operationalisation pending the determination of the case.
If the reports are confirmed, the presence of the aid workers at the site would raise fresh questions over whether the facility has been put into use despite the court orders.
The government is yet to respond on the claims.
On May 29, 2026 the High Court issued conservatory orders halting the establishment and operationalization of the proposed US-backed Ebola quarantine facility at the Laikipia Air Base.
The orders followed a petition by Katiba Institute, which argued the project lacked transparency, public participation and parliamentary oversight.
The planned facility had sparked protests from civil society groups, which questioned the reported Kenya-US arrangement and raised concerns over public health, constitutional governance and national sovereignty, prompting legal action that stopped the project pending the court’s determination.
