Katiba Institute has filed an urgent contempt of court application at the High Court in Nairobi against the Kenyan government. The application addresses the blatant violation of existing conservatory and disclosure orders regarding the secretive U.S.-backed Ebola quarantine and treatment facility in Kenya.

Despite explicit court orders mandating the suspension of all plans to establish, operationalise, or approve the facility, construction and development have illegally continued. Furthermore, the authorities have defied court directives compelling the full disclosure of documents, agreements, and safety protocols regarding the facility to the public and the courts.

This continued defiance exposes a deeply troubling diplomatic and legal posture. The actions surrounding this facility suggest that both the Kenyan and the United States governments view themselves as entirely above the Kenyan judicial system. Rather than complying with the rulings of Kenya’s independent courts, the two governments only engage with their executive counterparts, effectively treating the nation’s legal framework and constitutional safeguards as mere suggestions.

Katiba Institute maintains that even urgent diplomatic and public health initiatives must bow to constitutional accountability, transparency, and the rule of law. A foreign government cannot be allowed to bypass parliamentary oversight, evade public participation, and ignore court orders under the guise of an international health emergency.

Nora Mbagathi, Executive Director of Katiba Institute, strongly condemned the ongoing violations:

“We are witnessing a profound disrespect for Kenya’s sovereignty and our constitutional rule of law. The fact that construction continues and vital documents remain hidden, in direct violation of a High Court order, shows that the U.S. and Kenyan government see themselves as above our courts. They must be reminded that Kenya is a sovereign republic with a Constitution that protects its people, not an offshore containment zone where foreign entities can operate above the law.”

About Katiba Institute: www.katibainstitute.org

Get the Application here

Download the Press Release here