The Court Stepped In Friday Morning

A Kenyan High Court judge issued a suspension order Friday, blocking any foreign government from operating an Ebola-related facility in Kenya until petitions challenging the arrangement are heard — scheduled for Tuesday, according to WPXI reporting from the Associated Press.

The facility was supposed to begin operations Friday. The court order came hours before it was set to open.

Two Separate Legal Challenges

Two organizations filed separate lawsuits challenging the arrangement.

The Katiba Institute — a Kenyan constitutional rights group — petitioned the court, warning the arrangement posed "grave and imminent risks" to public health, according to BBC News.

Separately, the Kenya Law Society asked the court to nullify any agreements already signed between the US and Kenya. Their argument: Kenya lacks "the high-containment infrastructure required to safely manage such a facility, exposing the public to serious health risks," per WPXI.

The Doctors Are Done Waiting

A Kenyan doctors' union issued a 48-hour strike notice on Thursday — one day before the court ruling — threatening to walk out if the facility moved forward.

The union's chairperson, Davji Atellah, said: "As the vanguard of Kenya's healthcare system, we are utterly disgusted by the government's apparent willingness to trade national biosecurity and the lives of its citizens for foreign aid," according to WPXI.

He added that the US was "clear that they would not allow Ebola on their soil" — so Kenya shouldn't become another "dumping ground."

What the US Was Actually Planning

A US administration official confirmed Wednesday — speaking anonymously — that Americans exposed to Ebola abroad would be sent to this new 50-bed facility in Kenya rather than flown home, according to BBC News.

US medics have already deployed to staff it. A US official confirmed "the first group has deployed" and said staff received "extensive training in the use of PPE" and "proper quarantine techniques," according to BBC News.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the US would commit $13.5 million toward Kenya's Ebola preparedness efforts. The Kenya Law Society is arguing the Kenyan government took that money and signed agreements without telling the public.

Kenya's Government Is Still Hiding the Ball

The Kenyan government has NOT publicly confirmed this deal exists.

Officials acknowledged "discussions with the US on support for Ebola preparedness" — full stop. No confirmation of agreements. No confirmation of facility location. The exact location of the 50-bed center has NOT been revealed to the public, per BBC News.

How a government agrees to host a foreign-run Ebola quarantine facility and then goes silent when its own citizens, lawyers, and doctors demand answers remains unclear. The court just forced the issue into the open.

The Outbreak That's Driving All of This

The Congolese government confirmed more than 1,000 suspected cases and at least 220 deaths since declaring the outbreak on May 15, according to WPXI. Seven cases and one death have been confirmed in neighboring Uganda.

This is a live outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola — which has no approved treatment and no approved vaccine — spreading in northeastern Congo. The WHO suspects the outbreak is significantly larger than confirmed numbers show, because it spread undetected for weeks before anyone declared it.

US personnel are working in the region. Standard US protocol for protecting Americans abroad involves having a treatment facility nearby.

What Comes Next

The court hears arguments Tuesday. Until then, ZERO foreign-operated Ebola facilities can open in Kenya.

The doctors' strike clock is also ticking — 48 hours from Thursday's notice puts the deadline at roughly Saturday.

And the Bundibugyo outbreak continues to spread.

If you're a US government employee or aid worker in eastern Congo right now, your government's backup plan is frozen by a foreign court — because of a deal the Kenyan government cut without public disclosure or parliamentary approval.