LAIKIPIA AIR BASE — Kenyan activists accused authorities of violating a court order halting the setup of an American-backed Ebola quarantine center in Kenya. The facility, located at Laikipia Air Base near Nanyuki, has become the focal point of legal and political conflict as seven American aid workers remain under quarantine.

Samaritan’s Purse stated that seven of its American staff from Congo were being quarantined in Kenya for 21 days. The organization further stated that none of the seven quarantined staff had shown symptoms of Ebola.

The State Department planned to establish a 50-bed Ebola quarantine and triage facility at Laikipia Air Base in Nanyuki, Kenya. Local media reported that military tents at Laikipia Air Base would house the U.S.-backed Ebola facility. Laikipia Air Base is located approximately 185 kilometers (115 miles) north of Nairobi, near the town of Nanyuki.

"They are being housed in large military tents in a fenced gravel compound, sleeping on military cots, and their food is being provided by the U.S. military," Samaritan’s Purse President and CEO Franklin Graham said in a statement. The humanitarian group operates two Ebola treatment centers in Bunia and Nyankunde in Congo, where an outbreak erupted two months ago.

The Ebola outbreak in Congo has killed at least 930 people out of 2,344 confirmed cases. Ebola spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person. Despite the regional crisis, Kenya has no confirmed Ebola cases.

Residents of Nanyuki staged protests against the facility, resulting in two deaths when the protests turned violent. The unrest followed a Kenyan court order issued last month barring the operationalization of the facility. In response to the legal challenge, Health Minister Aden Duale ordered the suspension of the facility's construction.

Kenyan President William Ruto defended the planned U.S.-backed quarantine facility as part of a partnership with the U.S. Ruto stated there were plans to establish 24 additional Ebola preparedness centers across Kenya with U.S. funding. The United States pledged $13.5 million toward Kenya’s Ebola preparedness efforts.

The Law Society of Kenya and Katiba Institute petitioned against the quarantine, arguing Kenya’s health system could be overwhelmed. Katiba Institute chief Nora Mbagathi stated that activists were concerned about reports of Americans being quarantined in Kenya.

"Should any Kenyan government official be involved... they have completely betrayed the public trust and must be held personally accountable," Mbagathi added. The Law Society of Kenya stated that a deliberate violation of a court order would amount to "impunity and lawlessness."

Internationally, responses to the outbreak have varied. Canada began denying entry to foreign nationals who had been in the Democratic Republic of Congo within the past 21 days starting July 20. Canada's Public Health Agency acknowledged the risk of Ebola to Canadians remains low.

The United States introduced restrictions similar to Canada's regarding travel from Congo. The CDC issued an emergency order on July 13 extending a ban on foreign nationals who were in Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan in the past 21 days from flying into the U.S. The Trump administration extended the ban to cover American citizens in Congo by placing them on a "do-not-board" list on July 13.

The "do-not-board" list was jointly established by the CDC and DHS in 2007. The Supreme Court affirmed a citizen's right to return home in the 1958 decision Kent v. Dulles. European health officials oppose travel bans related to the Ebola outbreak.

The World Health Organization advises against travel bans, warning they can fuel stigma and make outbreaks harder to control. Congo has reported more than 2,100 Ebola cases and over 800 deaths, according to separate estimates.