• Kenya's health minister ordered a halt to a US-supported Ebola quarantine facility.
• Controversy arose due to public protests and legal challenges against the facility.
• The facility at Laikipia Air Base aimed to prepare for potential Ebola cases from DR Congo.
• The minister faced contempt of court for initially ignoring a stop-work order.
• At least three people died during protests against the facility's construction.

Kenya's health minister, Aden Duale, has announced an immediate halt to preparations for a US-run Ebola quarantine facility at Laikipia Air Base. This decision comes after he was found in contempt of court for neglecting a previous stop-work order. The facility was being readied in case the US needed to evacuate its citizens from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), which is currently facing a severe Ebola outbreak, according to Africanews and Reuters.

Despite court orders to stop construction, reports indicated flying medical equipment and trained staff were still arriving at the site. Images reviewed also showed progress in construction before the court's ruling. The halt to the facility's construction was met with relief from local communities, who have expressed concerns about potential health risks, especially with protests leading to fatalities, according to Reuters and Al Jazeera.

The government's decision to accept US funding for the facility has also faced backlash. Critics argue that the $13.5 million allocated for Ebola preparedness disguises the potential health threats. Activists in Kenya assert that this development occurred without adequate public consultation, raising alarms about the future of the nation's health system, as noted by Al Jazeera and Africanews.