Kenya minister found in contempt of court over US-backed Ebola centre

Kenya's Health Minister Aden Duale faces sentencing after a judge ruled he was in contempt of court for allowing the construction of a controversial US-backed Ebola quarantine center to continue. The High Court had previously ordered a halt to the 50-bed facility's construction at a military base in Nanyuki, located north of the capital Nairobi.

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grave and imminent risks

The facility is intended to house US citizens suspected of contracting Ebola from the ongoing outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. However, the plan has ignited significant opposition, leading to protests in Nanyuki where three people have died. Among the deceased was 17-year-old Sylvester Muigai Ndung'u, who witnesses say was shot in the head during a police attempt to disperse demonstrators.

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avoid compliance by recasting or re-characterizing the ongoing construction

A rights group, the Katiba Institute, had warned in May that the facility posed "grave and imminent risks" to public health. Despite the court's order, the health ministry argued that any ongoing construction was solely by the Kenyan government. However, the judge stated that the government could not "avoid compliance by recasting or re-characterizing the ongoing construction," emphasizing that court orders are commands to be obeyed.

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is not an invitation to ingenuity, it is a command to be obeyed

President William Ruto has defended the plan, calling it "inhuman" to refuse a request from the US and urging against politicizing the serious matter of Ebola. As of Monday, Kenya had not recorded any Ebola cases, though neighboring countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda have reported cases. The medical union KMPDU has also questioned Kenya's selection as a host for American citizens exposed to Ebola, while the US plans to provide significant aid for regional preparedness.

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inhuman