The High Court has summoned Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale to appear before court on June 23, 2026, over contempt of court linked to a controversial Ebola facility in Laikipia.
The court issued the directive after it found that existing conservatory orders on the project may have been violated, with construction reportedly continuing despite earlier restrictions issued by the court.
The development comes after contempt application filed by Katiba Institute, which sought the court’s intervention over the implementation of the project, which is understood to involve a US-backed Ebola quarantine facility.
“Justice Patricia Nyaundi ruled that the government has deliberately violated existing conservatory orders by allowing construction to continue on the proposed US-backed Ebola quarantine facility at Laikipia Air Base,” stated the ruling from a document seen by Whisperswire.
“The Court has summoned CS Duale to appear in court tomorrow, June 23, at 11:00 am to explain the failure to comply with the previous court orders”, the statement added.
The court further noted that relevant documents relating to the project had been disclosed.
However, concerns were raised regarding the absence of environmental and social impact assessments and safety contingency plans within the disclosed records.
The court is now set to examine whether the state complied with its earlier orders that stopped or restricted further work on the site pending full legal and environmental compliance.
Additionally, the court found that construction continued even after orders were issued to halt it, a move that legal experts say amounts to a brazen disregard for judicial authority.
Duale is now expected to appear before Justice Nyaundi at 11:00 am on Tuesday to explain why the government defied the court’s previous directives.
