The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is seeking Ksh103.7 billion (USD 800 million) from Congress to fund humanitarian Ebola response efforts, including the construction of a controversial quarantine centre in Kenya for Americans exposed to the virus.

🇰🇪 Breaking It Down

According to Reuters , the funding is part of a major request exceeding Ksh181.5 billion (USD1.4 billion) that the White House plans to submit to Congress as it moves to contain a rapidly expanding Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The proposed allocation comes amid an ongoing legal battle in Kenya over plans to establish a U.S.-backed Ebola quarantine facility at Laikipia Air Base, a project currently suspended by the High Court.

Reuters reported that the Ksh103.7 billion (USD800 million) humanitarian package would support the Kenya quarantine centre, alongside treatment supplies, contact tracing programmes, infection-control measures and a regional logistics network.

📌 What You Need to Know

The latest funding push is likely to reignite debate over the proposed facility , which has faced opposition from civil society groups and local residents who have raised concerns over public safety, constitutional compliance and national sovereignty.

The High Court has since barred the government from establishing or operationalising any Ebola quarantine, isolation or treatment facility linked to the disputed arrangement pending the determination of a petition filed by Katiba Institute.

In its ruling, the court also prohibited the admission, transfer or facilitation of entry into Kenya of persons exposed to or infected with Ebola through the challenged programme.

The petition challenges an alleged agreement between Kenya and the United States to establish a 50-bed Ebola quarantine facility at Laikipia Air Base.

Nonetheless, President William Ruto has defended the proposed project, maintaining that it is intended to strengthen Kenya's preparedness against Ebola .

The development comes as Congo battles an outbreak linked to the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which has infected more than 1,000 people and killed 267, according to the World Health Organisation.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke