The Kenyan government has abruptly suspended construction of a US-funded Ebola quarantine facility near the Somali border, sparking alarm among British aid officials who fear a wider diplomatic rift.
The move, confirmed by the Kenyan Ministry of Health yesterday, freezes work on a 40-bed isolation unit in Garissa County – a key component of America’s global health security strategy. The project, already 60% complete, was intended to contain potential outbreaks from neighbouring Somalia.
But Nairobi’s sudden reversal has Whitehall worried. One senior UK aid source, speaking on condition of anonymity, called it “deeply troubling”. “This isn’t just about Ebola. It’s about trust,” they said. “If Kenya can pull the plug on a crisis facility, what else can they pull?”
Behind closed doors, diplomats are parsing the politics. President William Ruto’s government has been flexing its muscles lately, seeking to renegotiate security partnerships. A cooling of ties with Washington could force London to pick up the pieces.
“The British have always been the bridge between Kenya and the West,” noted a former Kenyan ambassador. “But now that bridge is looking shaky.”
Opposition MPs in Nairobi have seized on the issue, accusing Ruto of playing “political games with people’s lives”. Yet there are whispers the halt may be cover for a redirection of funds – or a warning shot over US diplomatic meddling.
For Labour’s shadow foreign team, this is ammunition. “Starmer’s people see a pattern of the PM failing to stand up for British interests,” said a party insider. “The Ebola centre is just the latest example.”
Downing Street has so far offered only a bland statement. “We are monitoring the situation closely,” a spokesperson said. No phone call from the Prime Minister to Nairobi. No urgency.
Meanwhile, health experts are growing nervy. The quarantine centre was designed to detect cases within hours, not days. Without it, a slow-moving outbreak could spiral.
“This is how diseases spread in a connected world,” warned Dr Amina Salim, a public health analyst. “You don’t need walls. You need early warning. Kenya just dismantled one.”
For now, the US has gone quiet. Aid officials say they were given no prior warning. The suspension, they claim, was a “complete blindside”.
The question is: what comes next? Will Kenya relent? Or will this become a permanent rift? Whitehall is watching – and worrying.
