He urges leaders and stakeholders not to politicise public health interventions
WAJIR, May 2026 -President William Ruto has reiterated his administration’s commitment to prioritize the health and safety of all citizens despite growing criticism over Kenya’s partnership with United States to establish Ebola Quarantine and Treatment Facility in Laikipia Air base.
As a state of preparedness, Dr Ruto assured that they are undertaking all the measures to prevent, detect, and manage any potential cases related to Ebola.
This, however, he explained is achieved by strengthening public health response capabilities, through the tremendous support from international partners such as the US.
“Nairobi and Washington have had cordial relationship for decades and the latter has continued to offer major assistance towards major public health challenges, including HIV/Aids, COVID-19, and Ebola, among others,” Ruto emphasized during a night media roundtable at Wajir State Lodge on Monday, May 1st.
Allaying fears over the establishment of the much contested quarantine facility, he termed it as neither unique nor exceptional, but part of a broader national preparedness system.
23 Preparedness Centres
Ruto further pointed out that the country has 23 disease preparedness centres such as Kenyatta National Hospital (Nairobi), the National Police Service Hospital (Nairobi), Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (Eldoret), Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital (Nairobi/Kiambu), and Alupe Hospital (Busia), among others.
He emphasised that these measures are intended solely to safeguard public health and strengthen our capacity to respond effectively to health emergencies.
To enhance the country’s preparedness today, Ruto recalled that similar partnerships proved invaluable during the COVID-19 scourge, including the establishment of a specialised facility at Nairobi Hospital.
Riots Quelled
On Monday June 1st, scores were injured as residents staged a demonstration denouncing the move.
“Hosting people exposed to Ebola could endanger local communities and increase the risk of an outbreak in Kenya which won’t be easily manageable,” they expressed their fear.
Heavy riot police and military officers were deployed to quell hundreds of residents and youth who marched through Nanyuki town to protest the planned facility.
Businesses in parts of Nanyuki reportedly closed during the demonstrations as tensions escalated around the air base. They carried placards and chanted slogans against the project whereby scores were reportedly injured and an attempt to invade the Laikipia Airbase.
Laikipia leaders and residents have called for the immediate cancellation of the project rather than a temporary suspension.
‘Court Breaks‘
Earlier on Friday May 29th, the High Court sitting in Nairobi temporarily stopped the establishment of the proposed US backed Ebola quarantine and treatment facility at the Laikipia Air Base in Nanyuki, pending the hearing and determination of a constitutional petition challenging the project.
The court also barred the admission of foreign Ebola patients into the country under the proposed arrangement. The petition, filed by legal and civil society groups including the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) and the Katiba Institute, argues that the project was negotiated without adequate public participation and poses potential public health risks.
Petitioners argue that Kenya’s healthcare system lacks the high-containment infrastructure required to safely manage Ebola patients from abroad and at the same time keep the Kenyan residents safe from ebola infection. The court’s intervention came amid growing public opposition in Laikipia County.
The proposed 50-bed facility would reportedly be used to quarantine individuals exposed to Ebola during the ongoing outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.
According to European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, and Reuters relying on health authorities reports, 48 persons have succumbed, 321 confirmed cases and an additional 116 suspected cases are currently under investigation in DRC.
In their latest report, Ugandan officials, however, have recorded 15 confirmed cases and 1 death. Most of the cases have been localized in or near Kampala.
However, critics argue that Kenya should not bear the risks associated with hosting foreign patients when the country has not recorded any Ebola cases.
The High Court is expected to continue hearing the case as the legal and public debate over the facility intensifies.
Additional reporting by Christine Akinyi
