Nairobi, Kenya - A court in Kenya temporarily halted the opening of an Ebola quarantine center for US nationals on Friday following a petition filed by a rights group.
The facility was due to open in the east African nation on Friday, according to US officials, to quarantine Americans arriving from the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is battling a major Ebola outbreak.
Washington has defended its criticized decision not to repatriate Americans infected with the virus.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has vowed not to allow any Ebola cases on US soil.
The US-built facility was set to have 50 isolation beds and be managed by US medical staff at Laikipia Air Base, about 124 miles from the capital, Nairobi.
A US official confirmed the establishment of the quarantine center on Thursday, but the Kenyan government has not directly addressed questions about the facility.
The facility was later to be provided with additional personnel, as well as "three isolation units, each capable of housing four patients," and "two bio containment units, each able to hold two patients each," the official said, without providing a timeline.
Should these patients develop symptoms or test positive, they would be treated in the units "until they are transported out" to specialized centres in Europe, the official said.
Katiba Institute, a Kenyan rights group, filed a court petition against the quarantine center plans, saying it was being established unilaterally and in secret, after which a conservatory order was issued on Friday halting the process.
The petition also prohibits the entry of people exposed to Ebola.
The Kenyan government has 48 hours to respond to the petition, with a mention date set for June 2.
US officials claim Kenyan Ebola quarantine facility is still moving forward
The US official defended the quarantine facility, saying the goal was to shorten patients' journeys and dismissed any political motivation.
Rubio spoke to Kenyan President William Ruto via telephone on Thursday, his spokesperson said, adding that Washington intends to provide $13.5 million in aid to fund Kenya's Ebola preparedness efforts.
A second US official said Kenyan authorities have given "forward approval" for the project to Washington, which has had discussions with Ruto "on the establishment of this facility."