A Kenyan High Court judge on Friday temporarily blocked an attempt by the United States to establish an Ebola quarantine facility in Kenya to house Americans.

White House officials said earlier this week that a 50-bed facility would be operational by Friday for American citizens who have been exposed to or infected with the illness.

“A Kenyan court has suspended the setup of an Ebola quarantine centre for Americans in Kenya pending the hearing of the application by civil society body Katiba institute,” Kenyan journalist Waihiga Mwaura said.

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It was unclear how long the suspension would last, but a further hearing about the case is expected on Tuesday.

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The civil society group, the Katiba Institute, said it wanted to compel the Kenyan government — which has not confirmed the existence of a deal to accept American citizens — to disclose details of any such arrangement.

U.S. officials said on Thursday that the 50-bed quarantine unit would house American citizens exposed to the Ebola virus. The facility would be set up at a military air base in Laikipia, an area about 100 miles north of Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, and was expected to be operational by Friday, the officials said.

In a phone interview, Nora Mbagathi, the executive director of the Katiba Institute, said: “No one is saying that we are against international collaboration and support when it comes to tackling that crisis. But there are procedures and processes in the Constitution and they are there for a reason.”

Tommy Pigott, a State Department spokesman, said on Thursday that the United States would commit $13.5 million to Ebola preparation efforts in Kenya. That statement came after a phone call between President William Ruto of Kenya and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, but it did not mention the quarantine facility.

“International solidarity is vital, particularly in times of multiple crises. As a key regional gateway, financial hub, and host to major international organisations, Kenya remains vigilant and committed to swift, coordinated action to protect regional health security following the Ebola outbreak in neighbouring countries,” Ruto said.

“At State House, Nairobi, I met Ambassadors, development partners, multilateral agencies, and key stakeholders to apprise them of Kenya’s preparedness, exchange views on the regional situation, and mobilise collective action to contain the spread of the Ebola Virus Disease. I am pleased that surveillance and screening measures have been intensified across 26 Points of Entry, with more than 58,000 travellers screened and all suspected cases tested so far returning negative. In addition, 17 isolation centres have been identified across the country,” he continued.

“We are also mobilising support with development partners for affected countries and frontline response institutions, including the World Health Organization, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, and the United Nations system, to strengthen surveillance, emergency response and healthcare preparedness, laboratory systems, and cross-border coordination,” he added.

“The number one priority of our foreign policy is to protect the American people. We cannot and will not allow any cases of Ebola to enter the United States,” Rubio said.

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The Kenyan court said Friday that “a conservatory order is hereby issued restraining the respondents from establishing … any Ebola exposure, quarantine, isolation or treatment facility in Kenya.”

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Another organization, the Law Society of Kenya, has also filed a constitutional petition against the proposed Ebola quarantine center, but there was no immediate ruling on that Friday.

“Kenya appears to have been selected as an alternative containment site, thereby externalizing infectious disease risk management to the Republic’s territory,” Katiba said in its legal challenge.

The Kenyan government has 48 hours to respond to the petition.

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