‘Clumsy Diplomacy’: Inside the U.S.-Kenya Feud Over an Ebola Camp

The U.S. initiative to establish an Ebola quarantine facility in Kenya aimed to mitigate the outbreak by isolating American patients exposed to the virus. However, this plan has sparked significant unrest and political discord, leading to widespread protests across the nation.

Last month, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that no Ebola patients would be permitted entry into the United States following a dangerous outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Rubio later appeared to soften this position.

Subsequently, U.S. officials revealed that the Trump administration intended to send all U.S. citizens exposed to the virus to Kenya instead of repatriating them. These individuals would be monitored and treated at a 50-bed quarantine unit specifically designated for them at Laikipia Air Base in central Kenya.

The backlash in Kenya has been intense.

Hundreds have taken to the streets in Nanyuki, the town nearest to the air base, to voice their opposition to the facility. Police have resorted to using tear gas to disperse crowds, resulting in at least three fatalities among protesters, according to the Kenya Human Rights Commission. The Kenyan police have not responded to requests for comment.

Critics of President William Ruto accuse him of capitulating to U.S. interests, jeopardizing Kenyan lives by allowing exposed American patients into the country while they are barred from entering the U.S.

Many are questioning why Kenya, which has never recorded an Ebola case, would agree to host the unit when U.S. officials have stated that Kenyans would not be eligible for treatment there.

“We are utterly disgusted by the government’s apparent willingness to trade national biosecurity and the lives of its citizens for foreign aid,” stated the Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentists Union.

While the specifics of the agreement between the U.S. and Kenya remain undisclosed, a U.S. official informed The New York Times that discussions were ongoing when the plan was announced.

In a statement to The Times, the State Department indicated plans to facilitate transportation for Americans to the Ebola unit, but did not clarify whether Kenyans would be admitted.

Kenya’s High Court temporarily suspended the unit’s opening last week following a legal challenge from the Katiba Institute, a civil society organization. The court mandated the Kenyan government to disclose the agreement’s terms by Tuesday and scheduled a hearing for June 23.

Despite the court’s suspension and ongoing protests, a U.S. official confirmed that U.S. Africa Command continued to develop the unit at the air base, with approximately 300 U.S. troops assisting in the setup.

The official, who requested anonymity, noted that the facility could eventually accommodate up to 250 patients. The State Department is coordinating with several Americans seeking to leave Congo, although their exposure status remains uncertain.

Work on the unit has continued as the Ruto administration has not issued a stop order, although it was paused on Tuesday due to protests.

Dr. Mehmet Oz, a prominent federal health official, mentioned that the State Department would “be able to work out something with Kenya.”

American health experts have criticized the decision not to repatriate American patients, arguing that the government has an ethical obligation to do so.

The Katiba Institute plans to return to the High Court this week to seek a contempt order for what it deems a violation of the court’s ruling. “Kenya has independent courts, and they need to be respected,” stated Nora Mbagathi, the institute’s executive director.

Former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga expressed that ignoring the court’s ruling is a constitutional violation, highlighting what he perceives as Western hypocrisy. “The West constantly pontificates about democracy and the rule of law, but what annoys me is that they also find our supreme law inconvenient,” he remarked.

The U.S. Embassy in Kenya recently issued a statement emphasizing the Ebola unit as part of a long-standing health partnership between the two nations.

Abraham Korir Sing’Oei, a senior official in Kenya’s foreign ministry, acknowledged U.S. support in combating epidemics but suggested that political motivations are driving critics of the facility, particularly with the upcoming presidential election.

However, Mr. Sing’Oei admitted that communication regarding the deal “could have been better.”

A major source of outrage is the stipulation that only U.S. citizens would be eligible for treatment at the facility. Sing’Oei stated that Kenyans could also receive treatment, but the U.S. government has yet to publicly confirm this.

This discrepancy has placed the Kenyan government in a precarious position and reflects what some are calling “clumsy diplomacy,” according to Cameron Hudson, an Africa analyst in Washington.

The failure to navigate the agreement effectively has undermined the administration’s strategy of leveraging long-term U.S. support for African nations to secure better terms in future bilateral agreements.

“The Kenyan government is twisting in the wind, and the U.S. doesn’t seem sensitive to what their partner is experiencing,” Hudson remarked.

Experts are concerned that the current Ebola outbreak could become the worst on record. The Congo health ministry reported 550 confirmed cases and 101 deaths as of Monday.

Apoorva Mandavilli contributed reporting from New York, and Brian O. Otieno contributed reporting from Nairobi.

The U.S. initiative to establish an Ebola quarantine facility in Kenya aimed to mitigate the outbreak by isolating American patients exposed to the virus. However, this plan has sparked significant unrest and political discord, leading to widespread protests across the nation.

Last month, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that no Ebola patients would be permitted entry into the United States following a dangerous outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Rubio later appeared to soften this position.

Subsequently, U.S. officials revealed that the Trump administration intended to send all U.S. citizens exposed to the virus to Kenya instead of repatriating them. These individuals would be monitored and treated at a 50-bed quarantine unit specifically designated for them at Laikipia Air Base in central Kenya.

The backlash in Kenya has been intense.

Hundreds have taken to the streets in Nanyuki, the town nearest to the air base, to voice their opposition to the facility. Police have resorted to using tear gas to disperse crowds, resulting in at least three fatalities among protesters, according to the Kenya Human Rights Commission. The Kenyan police have not responded to requests for comment.

Critics of President William Ruto accuse him of capitulating to U.S. interests, jeopardizing Kenyan lives by allowing exposed American patients into the country while they are barred from entering the U.S.

Many are questioning why Kenya, which has never recorded an Ebola case, would agree to host the unit when U.S. officials have stated that Kenyans would not be eligible for treatment there.

“We are utterly disgusted by the government’s apparent willingness to trade national biosecurity and the lives of its citizens for foreign aid,” stated the Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentists Union.

While the specifics of the agreement between the U.S. and Kenya remain undisclosed, a U.S. official informed The New York Times that discussions were ongoing when the plan was announced.

In a statement to The Times, the State Department indicated plans to facilitate transportation for Americans to the Ebola unit, but did not clarify whether Kenyans would be admitted.

Kenya’s High Court temporarily suspended the unit’s opening last week following a legal challenge from the Katiba Institute, a civil society organization. The court mandated the Kenyan government to disclose the agreement’s terms by Tuesday and scheduled a hearing for June 23.

Despite the court’s suspension and ongoing protests, a U.S. official confirmed that U.S. Africa Command continued to develop the unit at the air base, with approximately 300 U.S. troops assisting in the setup.

The official, who requested anonymity, noted that the facility could eventually accommodate up to 250 patients. The State Department is coordinating with several Americans seeking to leave Congo, although their exposure status remains uncertain.

Work on the unit has continued as the Ruto administration has not issued a stop order, although it was paused on Tuesday due to protests.

Dr. Mehmet Oz, a prominent federal health official, mentioned that the State Department would “be able to work out something with Kenya.”

American health experts have criticized the decision not to repatriate American patients, arguing that the government has an ethical obligation to do so.

The Katiba Institute plans to return to the High Court this week to seek a contempt order for what it deems a violation of the court’s ruling. “Kenya has independent courts, and they need to be respected,” stated Nora Mbagathi, the institute’s executive director.

Former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga expressed that ignoring the court’s ruling is a constitutional violation, highlighting what he perceives as Western hypocrisy. “The West constantly pontificates about democracy and the rule of law, but what annoys me is that they also find our supreme law inconvenient,” he remarked.

The U.S. Embassy in Kenya recently issued a statement emphasizing the Ebola unit as part of a long-standing health partnership between the two nations.

Abraham Korir Sing’Oei, a senior official in Kenya’s foreign ministry, acknowledged U.S. support in combating epidemics but suggested that political motivations are driving critics of the facility, particularly with the upcoming presidential election.

However, Mr. Sing’Oei admitted that communication regarding the deal “could have been better.”

A major source of outrage is the stipulation that only U.S. citizens would be eligible for treatment at the facility. Sing’Oei stated that Kenyans could also receive treatment, but the U.S. government has yet to publicly confirm this.

This discrepancy has placed the Kenyan government in a precarious position and reflects what some are calling “clumsy diplomacy,” according to Cameron Hudson, an Africa analyst in Washington.

The failure to navigate the agreement effectively has undermined the administration’s strategy of leveraging long-term U.S. support for African nations to secure better terms in future bilateral agreements.

“The Kenyan government is twisting in the wind, and the U.S. doesn’t seem sensitive to what their partner is experiencing,” Hudson remarked.

Experts are concerned that the current Ebola outbreak could become the worst on record. The Congo health ministry reported 550 confirmed cases and 101 deaths as of Monday.

Apoorva Mandavilli contributed reporting from New York, and Brian O. Otieno contributed reporting from Nairobi.