The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) has strongly opposed reported plans by the Kenyan government and the United States administration to establish an Ebola quarantine and treatment facility at Laikipia Air Base.
In a strongly worded statement issued on Thursday, KMPDU Secretary General Dr Davji Bhimji Atella accused the government of engaging in “backdoor negotiations” that could compromise Kenya’s national biosecurity and public health system.
The union described the proposal as unacceptable, arguing that Kenya should not be turned into what it termed a “containment colony” for a deadly disease outbreak originating outside the country.
Questions Raised Over Kenya’s Selection
KMPDU questioned why Kenya had allegedly been selected to host exposed or infected U.S. citizens linked to the ongoing Bundibugyo strain Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda.
The union demanded immediate transparency from Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the reported agreement.
“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?” the statement posed.
KMPDU further called for the immediate publication of any bilateral agreement related to the facility, insisting that Kenyans deserve to know why the country is being asked to shoulder what it described as “biosecurity risks of a foreign superpower.”
Union Accuses Government of Neglecting Public Hospitals
The doctors’ union also criticised the government for allegedly prioritising a foreign-funded quarantine facility while Kenya’s public health sector continues to struggle with shortages of medicines, diagnostic reagents, and intensive care infrastructure.
According to the union, many public hospitals remain underfunded and ill-equipped to handle ordinary healthcare demands, making the proposed Ebola facility a misplaced priority.
“It is the height of irony and betrayal that while the Ministry of Health claims our local public facilities are too broke to function, it is actively facilitating the importation of a deadly hemorrhagic fever,” the statement read.
KMPDU argued that the government should instead focus on strengthening local healthcare systems and addressing preventable deaths occurring in under-equipped public hospitals.
Demand for Employment of Kenyan Healthcare Workers
The union also raised concerns over reports that the proposed facility could be staffed by the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps instead of Kenyan healthcare workers.
KMPDU warned against what it termed an “apartheid healthcare model” in which local medical professionals would be sidelined despite widespread unemployment among Kenyan doctors and nurses.
The union noted that Kenya currently faces a shortage of more than 100,000 healthcare workers, even as thousands of trained professionals remain unemployed or work under precarious short-term contracts.
KMPDU insisted that if the facility proceeds, the government must ensure permanent employment opportunities for Kenyan healthcare workers, funded jointly by the state and international partners involved in the project.
The union further demanded hazardous duty allowances, proper medical cover, and fair employment terms for any Kenyan personnel involved in handling high-risk infectious diseases.
KMPDU Issues 48-Hour Ultimatum
KMPDU gave the government a 48-hour ultimatum to publicly disclose details of the alleged negotiations surrounding the Ebola quarantine facility.
The union warned that it would mobilise nationwide industrial action if the government proceeds with the project without addressing concerns over transparency, staffing, and the country’s healthcare infrastructure.
“Kenya is a sovereign republic, not a geopolitical isolation ward,” Dr Atella stated.