Kenya has granted written approval for the United States to establish a quarantine facility at Laikipia Air Base to isolate American citizens potentially exposed to Ebola during the ongoing outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The announcement was confirmed by U.S. officials involved in the response, with the facility set to begin operations as early as May 29, 2026.

The field hospital, staffed by officers from the U.S. Public Health Service, will initially have capacity for 50 patients with plans to expand to 250 beds. It will include specialized isolation and biocontainment units, transported from the United States to care for symptomatic or confirmed cases. The facility is located approximately 120 miles north of Nairobi in central Kenya, within a military base that offers infrastructure supportive of quarantine operations.

As of late May, the DRC is experiencing an Ebola outbreak centered in Ituri province, involving the rare Bundibugyo virus strain for which no approved vaccine or treatment exists. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern, citing over 1,000 suspected cases and nearly 250 suspected deaths. WHO officials have been working closely with Congolese authorities to scale up testing and deliver medical supplies amid reports of delayed response and resistance within local communities. United Nations peacekeepers have recently provided medical cargo to affected areas, but ongoing flight restrictions in and out of Bunia, Ituri’s provincial capital, have impeded humanitarian efforts.

While the Kenya quarantine facility is intended to house Americans exposed to Ebola, Kenya initially advocated for a broader policy allowing all nationalities to access the site; it remains unclear if this has been accommodated. No Americans have yet been transferred to the facility, but aircraft are reportedly on standby for rapid transportation if needed.

The U.S. decision to establish the quarantine site in Kenya reflects a policy choice by administration officials to manage exposed individuals outside continental United States, citing medical and logistical considerations rather than political motivations. Officials argue that transporting patients to specialized tertiary-care centers in Europe will be safer and faster, given challenges presented by limited airport capabilities in Congo and Kenya. Advanced treatments, including monoclonal antibodies and remdesivir—an antiviral used off-label—will be available on-site alongside supportive care.

This approach has drawn criticism from some public health experts and Ebola survivors, who contend that the United States should bring infected citizens home for treatment in highly specialized U.S. facilities. Physician Craig Spencer, who survived Ebola contracted in West Africa in 2014, described the plan as a failure to meet obligations to American patients. Infectious disease experts have also raised concerns about the timing, resources, and level of care at the Kenya site, emphasizing the need for transparency and evidence-based decision-making amid an active outbreak.

The WHO Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, is visiting the DRC to oversee the response efforts, underscoring the urgency to contain the outbreak. Meanwhile, U.S. officials maintain that the Kenya quarantine facility and associated European treatment arrangements represent a pragmatic and timely strategy to manage risks and provide care for Americans exposed to the virus.