Kenya health minister says US Ebola quarantine centre will proceed

Kenya’s health minister said on Wednesday that the US-funded quarantine centre would proceed, days after deadly protests erupted over the project.

The US-built facility at Kenya’s Laikipia Air Base was due to open last week, according to US officials, to quarantine Americans arriving from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which is battling a major Ebola outbreak.

But it has been temporarily blocked by a court order, and triggered protests on Monday that killed two people, according to a rights group.

Speaking in parliament, health minister Aden Duale said the centre would serve both Kenyans and US nationals, dismissing fears it would be “exclusive”.

“Quarantine is not only for Americans. Even Kenyans will be isolated at the facility,” Duale said.

“Laikipia airbase is one of the 23 quarantine isolation centres we are building. And we will not stop it,” he added.