Photo by UN

By JULIUS MBALUTO

The establishment of an Ebola Quarantine and Treatment facility in Kenya caused big debate across the country and several oother quarters. The US plan to disallow its citizens exposed to Ebola in DR Congo, to go back home but instead be moved to Kenya in Quarantine facility raised many questions and caused debate internationally.

Is American now going to use Kenya as its dumping ground for its undesirables? Is it not the duty of any country to protect its citizens within its borders? Will allowing of the infected American citizens in Kenya bring Ebola to Kenya? If the US cannot accept its own citizens with Ebola, why should Kenya, why should any other African country?

The current outbreak of Ebola was declared May 15 in Democratic Republic of Congo and reports indicate that it has caused 238 deaths with 1000 suspected infections. The US plans to spend $13.5m for Ebola preparedness facilities in Kenya. Explaining why the US was preparing to build Quarantine facility in Kenya, Marco Rubio said:

"The United States' highest priority remains protecting the health and security of the American people by working to prevent the Ebola outbreak from reaching our shores"

The US officials also explained

"The facility will be equipped to provide ‌more advanced care and support for U.S. citizens who develop symptoms until ⁠they are evacuated,. They will then be taken to third countries, not the U.S. 

"They will then be evacuated out to a tertiary facility. The CDC is working with the Department of State to identify where that facility or facilities might be," one official said.

Marco Rubio was clear, they will not allow Ebola to get in the US. So, the question is, why should any other country accept Ebola in their country?

The move by the US was opposed by Kenya's civil society, angry and concerned Kenyans and lastly US CDC. Kenyan High Court has temporarily frozen plans by the US to establish Ebola quarantine and treatment facility in Kenya.

Photo Courtesy

It is  not just Ebola, we have seen other cases where those whom the Western Countries felt they were either dangerous or illegals, those countries sought to sent them somewhere in Africa. For example, throughout 2025, the biggest debate in the UK was sending illegal immigrants to Rwanda. The UK under Labour government cancelled the plans and Rwanda sued the UK about this.

In July 2025, the US deported 3 men to Eswatini, South Africa who were held in Maximum -security prison for seven weeks without a charge and no legal representation despite completing criminal sentences in the U.S.

The Legal Aid Society US reported that a 62-year old Etoria was one of 20 deportees to different African Countries. Etoria was convicted of a serious crime in the US in 1997 and was released on parole in 2021, however, in 2025 he was deported to an African country.

What causes the thinking that everything bad and dangerous must be contained within Africa? Do African Lives matter? Does the sovereignty of African nation and the protection of the African people matter? Are African nations willing to take that money and allow the Western World's undesirables? Over to you all.