The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) has opposed reported negotiations between the Kenyan government and the United States over plans to establish an Ebola quarantine and treatment facility at Laikipia Air Base, warning that the move could undermine the country’s health security.
In a statement issued on Thursday, KMPDU Secretary-General Dr. Davji Bhimji Atellah accused the government of engaging in what he termed “backdoor negotiations” without transparency or public participation.
The union alleged that Kenya risked being turned into a “containment colony” for a deadly disease originating outside the country, raising concerns over reports that the facility would host exposed or infected U.S. citizens linked to the ongoing Bundibugyo strain Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.
“We will not sit back and watch Kenya be treated as a containment colony for a lethal pathogen that we did not generate,” Dr. Atellah said.
KMPDU questioned the choice of Kenya as a host country, arguing that nations closer to the outbreak zones had not been considered for similar arrangements.
“If the United States believes the 12-hour medevac flight back to Washington is too dangerous for its citizens, by what logic is it safe to fly infected or exposed individuals into Kenyan airspace and drop them in Laikipia?” he posed.
The union called on Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale and the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs to immediately disclose any agreements or discussions relating to the proposed facility.
It also criticized the government for allegedly prioritizing a foreign-funded quarantine centre while Kenya’s public health system continues to face shortages of medicines, diagnostic supplies, and medical personnel.
“Our public hospitals are structurally crippled. We lack basic diagnostic reagents, essential medicines, and functional intensive care infrastructure,” the statement read.
KMPDU further argued that resources should instead be directed toward strengthening Kenya’s healthcare system and addressing the national shortage of health workers, noting that thousands remain unemployed or under poor contractual terms despite an estimated deficit of more than 100,000 professionals.
The union also raised concerns over reports that the proposed facility could be staffed by the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps rather than Kenyan personnel.
“We will not tolerate an apartheid healthcare model on Kenyan soil,” Dr. Atellah warned.
KMPDU demanded that any such arrangement guarantee permanent jobs for Kenyan healthcare workers, hazardous duty allowances, and full medical cover.
The union issued a 48-hour ultimatum for the government to disclose details of the negotiations, warning that failure to do so could trigger nationwide industrial action.
“Kenya is a sovereign republic, not a geopolitical isolation ward,” Dr. Atellah said.
