Kenyan president urges calm as court demands disclosure of agreements and protesters reject proposed facility for US nationals.
Kenyan President William Ruto has defended the government’s decision to host a United States-funded Ebola quarantine centre, insisting the facility is part of the country’s broader public health preparedness strategy and poses no threat to citizens.
The centre, located at Laikipia Air Base about 200 kilometres from Nairobi, was designed to quarantine American nationals arriving from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where authorities are battling a major Ebola outbreak. However, the plan has sparked widespread concern among Kenyans, leading to protests near the facility and a legal challenge that prompted the High Court to temporarily halt its opening.
Speaking on Tuesday, Ruto dismissed criticism of the project, accusing opponents of politicising a serious public health issue. He assured citizens that the agreement between Kenya and the United States was in the country’s best interest and urged the public to remain calm. Meanwhile, the High Court extended the suspension of the project and directed the government to disclose all agreements relating to the facility within seven days. Protesters in Nairobi and Laikipia expressed fears that hosting the quarantine centre could expose Kenya to Ebola, despite the country recording no confirmed cases. According to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 1,000 suspected Ebola cases and nearly 250 deaths have been reported in the DRC since the outbreak was declared in May.