The US has announced Sh1.9 billion funding to support Kenya's preparedness against Ebola, months after the High Court halted construction of a quarantine facility at the Laikipia Air Base in Nanyuki.

The financial support, unveiled on Thursday, is aimed at boosting Kenya's capacity to prevent, detect and respond to potential Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreaks through improved disease surveillance, laboratory systems, healthcare worker training, emergency response coordination, risk communication and screening at points of entry.

The announcement comes against the backdrop of the suspended quarantine project that had sparked public outrage over fears that it would receive Americans exposed to Ebola in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo, where the outbreak has so far resulted in 1,759 confirmed cases and 600 deaths.

The project was stopped after the High Court issued conservatory orders following petitions from residents and leaders who argued that the facility posed a potential public health risk and had been initiated without adequate public participation.

Following deadly protests in the area, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale was subsequently found in contempt of court for allowing construction to continue despite the court's initial suspension orders.

He later formally directed the immediate and complete cessation of all construction activities at the military installation.

Despite the controversy surrounding the Nanyuki facility, the US maintained that its latest support is focused on strengthening Kenya's public health systems and regional disease preparedness.

The US Embassy said Kenya occupies a strategic position as a transportation, trade and travel hub linking East and Central Africa, making it critical to regional infectious disease surveillance and response.

"Strengthening preparedness will protect the health and economic well-being of Kenyans, reduce the risk of cross-border spread, and advance the shared regional and global health security mandate," the embassy said.

According to the factsheet, the funding builds on more than six decades of health cooperation between Kenya and the United States.

The programme targets 22 high-risk counties identified by the Kenyan government and has already delivered significant investments in preparedness.

More than 800 laboratory professionals have been trained in biosafety, biosecurity and testing procedures for viral haemorrhagic fevers such as Ebola.

Two US-supported Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) laboratories, working alongside the National Virology Reference Laboratory, are testing suspected Ebola samples, while two mobile laboratories have been deployed to expand rapid diagnostic capacity in high-risk areas.

The initiative has also trained more than 1,700 Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programme disease detectives to support outbreak response, 120 national rapid response trainers and more than 160 county-level responders in high-risk border counties.

Additionally, 27 county and national Emergency Operations Centres have been activated, with plans to establish similar centres in 12 more high-risk counties.

The US said its assistance covers three key areas: disease detection through surveillance, laboratory testing and contact tracing; preparedness through healthcare worker training, infection prevention, laboratory supplies, treatment facility readiness and border screening; and outbreak response through rapid testing, isolation centres, treatment units and emergency response teams.

The embassy said investing in preparedness enables countries to stop outbreaks before they spread, protecting lives, economic stability and regional security.

"In today's interconnected world, an infectious disease threat anywhere can quickly become a global threat," the embassy noted.

It added that the partnership seeks to strengthen systems capable of preventing, detecting and responding to both current Ebola threats and future public health emergencies. The Star