The United States House Foreign Affairs Committee has rejected any idea of handling American Ebola patients through treatment arrangements outside the country, insisting that all confirmed cases involving U.S. citizens should be managed within the domestic health system to ensure safety, accountability, and close oversight.
In a statement shared on X on June 2, 2026, the committee said that Americans diagnosed with Ebola should not be treated under overseas medical arrangements. Instead, lawmakers argued that the federal government should prioritise bringing patients back home for care within established national systems.
The position was reinforced by committee members who said the United States already has highly specialised facilities capable of safely managing Ebola cases. They maintained that relying on third-country arrangements could weaken oversight and medical control during treatment.
“Our government has a responsibility to help Americans abroad,” the position echoed by committee members noted, adding that the United States already has specialised domestic facilities designed to safely care for Ebola patients.
Lawmakers also urged the administration to avoid shifting treatment responsibilities outside the country, insisting that Americans abroad who contract the disease should be repatriated and treated under strict domestic medical protocols.
“The Trump administration should bring Americans home and help them, not outsource that responsibility to a foreign government,” the statement added.
The remarks come at a time when debate has intensified over a proposed Ebola treatment facility at Laikipia Air Base in Kenya, a project that has triggered legal, political, and public concern.
On June 2, 2026, Justice Patricia Mande issued directions in a case filed by Katiba Institute challenging the proposed facility on constitutional, public health, and sovereignty grounds.
The court ordered the Attorney General and the Ministry of Health to submit a detailed report within seven days outlining the current status of the project and the planned arrangements for the facility. The matter will then return to court for further mention after the parties respond.
Reports indicate that American health professionals have already arrived at Laikipia Air Base ahead of the facility becoming fully operational. This has drawn opposition from sections of residents, political leaders, and some health sector stakeholders who have raised concerns about the arrangement.
The developments also follow remarks by William Ruto, who defended Kenya’s decision to host the facility, saying it is part of a long-standing partnership with the United States in global health security and pandemic response.
“When President Trump asked the government of Kenya to support them by having a centre at Laikipia Air Base, I gave the okay because it was an agreement and a partnership with friends who have worked with Kenya for 30 or 40 years,” President Ruto said on June 1.
He added that the arrangement fits within wider cooperation between Kenya and the United States in strengthening health systems and emergency preparedness. He pointed to past collaboration in handling diseases such as Ebola and HIV/AIDS.
“They have deployed huge resources in Kenya to work with us on HIV/AIDS and other diseases. They worked with us on Ebola,” he said.
He further noted that Kenya has stepped up preparedness measures, including isolation units, surveillance systems, and treatment facilities as part of broader efforts to manage potential outbreaks.