Former Chief Justice David Maraga has challenged President William Ruto’s administration over its sudden policy reversal regarding a controversial Ebola quarantine deal, calling out the state for abandoning a plan it had fiercely defended against public outcry.
In a statement on Thursday, November 12, Maraga criticized Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale’s recent announcement that Kenya will not allow foreign states to use its territory as a holding destination for travelers undergoing mandatory isolation before heading to their home countries.
Maraga pointed out that this declaration directly contradicts the administration's earlier stance, particularly its promotion of a designated quarantine site in Laikipia County.
The initial proposal, introduced around five months ago, triggered widespread resistance from locals and the broader public, who raised alarms over potential public health threats, compromised national sovereignty, and the rationale behind hosting facilities for foreign governments.
Maraga noted that demonstrations opposing the project were aggressively suppressed by law enforcement, resulting in the deaths of two young protesters. He questioned why the state championed the arrangement despite intense civil pushback and legal challenges, and pressed officials to clarify why it took months to adopt a stance aligned with citizens' concerns.
“If serving as a quarantine hub had ‘no basis in International Health Regulations’, why was it signed, defended and enforced with police violence in the first place?” Maraga asked, demanding accountability for the fatal crackdown rather than allowing the government to quietly walk away from the deal.
Maraga’s comments came shortly after CS Duale stated that Kenya would neither serve as a foreign quarantine hub nor provide documentation certifying Ebola-free status or quarantine completion for international travel. While Duale declined to provide details on the fate of the Laikipia facility due to active court cases, the policy shift coincides with Kenya discharging its final Ebola patient and releasing the last 11 individuals under observation.
Kenya has now entered a mandatory 42-day surveillance window to monitor for any new infections, aiming for an official Ebola-free declaration by late December if no new cases arise.
Maraga reiterated that the state must take responsibility for its initial decisions and the violence that followed, bringing the debate back into focus as the country begins its final observation period.
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