By Andrew Kariuki
Law Society of Kenya (LSK) President Charles Kanjama has called on the government to adopt stricter safeguards against Ebola, urging authorities to reject any arrangement that could see Kenya host an Ebola treatment or quarantine facility for patients brought in from abroad.
In remarks shared publicly on Thursday, Kanjama argued that Kenya should prioritise measures aimed at keeping the disease out of the country, amid reports that the United States is considering handling some Ebola-related cases outside its borders.
According to Kanjama, any treatment centres dealing with patients from affected regions should ideally be established near the source of an outbreak rather than in countries not directly at the centre of infections.
“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,” Kanjama stated.
He maintained that while people exposed to Ebola deserve access to quality healthcare and treatment, public health planning must also consider disease containment and geographical risk.
“Public health dictates that the medical treatment facility and treatment isolation protocols be set up near the common epicentre of the infection,” he said, suggesting areas closer to outbreaks in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo or western Uganda as more practical locations.
The remarks come amid growing debate following reports that the United States government is exploring plans to monitor or treat some Ebola exposure cases outside America.
According to reports published by The New York Times, the Trump administration is weighing a proposal that could see American citizens believed to have been exposed to Ebola observed or treated in Kenya instead of being returned to the United States, marking a shift from approaches used during previous outbreaks.
The report further indicated that preparations for a possible quarantine or treatment facility in Kenya were under consideration, with public health personnel reportedly undergoing training for deployment if the plan proceeds.
The proposal has sparked public discussion in Kenya, with concerns emerging around public health preparedness, disease surveillance, medical infrastructure and the potential risks of hosting foreign Ebola patients.
Kanjama’s comments add to the growing conversation surrounding how Kenya should respond to such proposals, especially as neighbouring Uganda and parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo continue monitoring Ebola-related concerns.
His position places emphasis on prevention, border vigilance and outbreak containment, as opposed to bringing exposed individuals into countries outside the immediate infection zone.
The government has yet to publicly outline the full details of any arrangement with the United States, although discussions surrounding regional preparedness and international cooperation continue to draw public attention.
