Kenya has ordered an immediate halt to the construction of a controversial U.S.-backed Ebola quarantine facility after a court found Health Minister Aden Duale in contempt for failing to comply with earlier suspension orders.
The decision marks the latest twist in a project that has sparked legal battles, public protests and growing scrutiny over Kenya's role in hosting Americans potentially exposed to Ebola during an ongoing outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
According to Reuters, Duale appeared before the court on Tuesday, where he said he had instructed authorities to stop all construction work at the site, located at Laikipia Air Base near the central town of Nanyuki.
The facility, backed by approximately $13 million in U.S. funding, was designed to accommodate American personnel exposed to Ebola while operating in the DRC.
Justice Patricia Nyaundi Mande discharged Duale without punishment but warned him against any further disobedience of court orders.
