Kenya’s Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has ordered the “immediate and complete cessation” of all work on a US-backed Ebola quarantine facility at Laikipia Air Base, after the High Court summoned him for contempt for ignoring a previous stop-work order. Appearing in person on Tuesday, Duale confirmed that the Kenyan and US governments had jointly suspended the collaboration, and the court discharged him with a stern warning against future non-compliance. The ruling brings a temporary halt to a project that had continued to receive flights carrying medical equipment and specialist staff, according to US officials and flight-tracking data, even after the court’s initial injunction.

Viewed from Washington, the tented facility was designed as a precautionary measure to isolate American citizens potentially exposed to Ebola during the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has recorded over 1,000 cases. The US pledged $13.5 million to support Kenya’s preparedness and had begun construction at the air base, some 200 kilometres north of Nairobi. Satellite imagery from 22 June reviewed by Reuters showed an increase in tents, paved areas, and container-like structures, indicating that site preparation had advanced despite the legal block. A US official confirmed that planes were still landing with supplies and that staff were being trained on site.

In Kenya, however, the project provoked sharp opposition from civil society, religious leaders, and local communities. The Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a statement on Tuesday warning that the initiative had been “imposed on Kenyans without adequate public consultation, parliamentary oversight, or transparent disclosure.” The bishops argued that hosting foreign Ebola patients posed an inherent threat to citizens and questioned what benefit the arrangement offered the country. Rights groups had petitioned the court, alleging the facility was developed secretly and without public participation. Protests in Laikipia over the plan turned deadly, with three people killed, and activists have linked the lack of engagement to rising tensions.

The court’s decision to pardon Duale leaves the substantive legal challenge unresolved. The minister told the court that the suspension would remain in place pending the hearing and determination of the petition or further court orders. Meanwhile, the controversy feeds into a broader climate of public discontent: activists plan nationwide commemorations on 25 June for victims of past anti-government protests, and former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua has alleged a state-sponsored scheme to deploy hired gangs to disrupt those gatherings. The government has warned against violent demonstrations and insists it will protect public order. The next hearing on the Ebola facility petition is expected to determine whether the project can resume under any conditions.