Kenyan Health Minister Aden Duale on Tuesday halted the construction of a controversial Ebola quarantine facility intended for US citizens after being summoned by the country's High Court for defying a judicial order.
Judge Patricia Nyaundi declined to impose a jail sentence but issued Duale with a "stern warning" for failing to comply with the court's directive, Kenyan media reported.
In late May, the court temporarily suspended plans to establish a 50-bed isolation centre at a military base in the town of Nanyuki, about 200 kilometres north of the capital Nairobi, through an interim injunction.
The court found that Duale had ignored the order and unlawfully allowed work on the project to continue. Lawyers representing the plaintiffs had sought a 15-month prison sentence for the minister.
The dispute comes amid an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where authorities have confirmed 1,048 cases, including 267 deaths. The fatality rate currently stands at about 25.5%.
In neighbouring Uganda, 20 Ebola infections have been reported, including two deaths.
US quarantine plan spark controversy
According to US media reports, Washington would like to bar it citizens who have been exposed to Ebola from returning home and instead place them in quarantine in Kenya.
The Kenyan government has only publicly confirmed that discussions are under way with the US on efforts to combat the outbreak.
According to the BBC, three people were killed during protests this month against the quarantine centre.
Jean Kaseya, director-general of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, has also expressed concerns that the facility could place additional strain on Kenya's health-care system.
