Kenyan President William Ruto on Thursday defended his government’s decision to allow the United States to build an Ebola quarantine facility in central Kenya, saying the move was “the right thing” despite public protests and a court order blocking the project.
The planned facility, located at Laikipia Air Base near the town of Nanyuki, is expected to include a 50-bed unit for Americans who may be exposed to Ebola during the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighbouring Uganda.
Reuters reported that satellite imagery showed construction had moved ahead quickly at the site, even after a Kenyan court ordered work to be suspended on May 28.
“I can tell you without fear of any contradiction, and I can look at everybody in the eye … and tell you we are doing the right thing,” Ruto told reporters during a state visit to South Africa.
He said Kenya would appear “very inhuman” if it rejected a U.S. request to establish the facility at Washington’s expense.
The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
According to satellite imagery reviewed by Reuters, around 0.046 square kilometres, or 11 acres, of land inside the air base had been cleared since May 27. By June 4, a series of connected white tents had been erected in the centre of the cleared area, where tarmac also appeared to have been laid.
Additional structures, earth-moving equipment and vehicles were visible at the site, which lies east of the runway. An eyewitness told Reuters that more flights landed at the air base on Thursday, carrying people and heavy equipment.
The project has triggered anger in Nanyuki, where at least two people were killed earlier this week during protests against the facility.
The U.S. embassy in Nairobi has previously said it is working with the Kenyan government to address concerns and resolve objections to the project.