By Magdalene Wanja - Reporter
Kenya, May 28, 2026 - The proposed establishment of an Ebola quarantine facility continues to draw heated opinions, with the latest being the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU).
The professional body claims that the decision is a show of willingness by the government to trade the country’s biosecurity and the lives of its citizens for foreign aid.
In a strongly worded statement released on Thursday, the union accused the government of treating Kenya as a “containment colony” for a lethal pathogen that did not originate within its borders.
Led by KMPDU Secretary General and CEO Dr. Davji Bhimji Atellah, the union warned that it would not sit back as the country is exposed to risks from the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which is currently centered in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.
The union demanded transparency from Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, questioning why Kenya was chosen as the site for the facility while nations directly bordering the outbreak were bypassed.
“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?” the statement asked.
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Beyond biosecurity concerns, KMPDU accused the government of neglecting local healthcare needs while prioritizing foreign interests.
In the statement also signed by Deputy Chairman Dr. Kahura Mundia, Deputy Secretary General Dr. Miskellah Dennis, and Deputy Treasurer Dr. Renoh Omoro, the union pointed out that public hospitals remain underfunded, lacking basic diagnostic reagents, essential medicines, and functional intensive care infrastructure.
“You cannot manage a local health crisis by importing an international one,” the statement read, criticizing the diversion of resources to a foreign-funded biohazard hub while Kenyan citizens die from preventable ailments in under-equipped wards.
Employment was another central issue raised. The union expressed suspicion over reports that the facility would be staffed by the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, warning against what it termed an “apartheid healthcare model.” KMPDU insisted that thousands of unemployed Kenyan doctors and nurses must be permanently employed and integrated into the facility’s operations, with proper pay, medical cover, and hazardous duty allowances.
Declaring Kenya “a sovereign republic, not a geopolitical isolation ward,” the union issued a 48-hour ultimatum for the government to make the negotiations public. It threatened nationwide industrial action if the Ministry of Health proceeds without addressing structural healthcare shortages and staffing crises. “We will protect our healthcare workers, and we will protect our country,” said Dr Davji.
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