NAIROBI, Kenya- Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has intensified his criticism of the proposed Kenya-US Ebola quarantine facility, questioning why Kenya should take risks that the United States itself appears unwilling to bear.
Speaking amid growing national debate over plans to establish an Ebola exposure and quarantine facility at Laikipia Air Base, Gachagua argued that Washington’s decision not to repatriate Americans exposed to the virus raises serious concerns about the dangers involved.
“If the United States of America is saying Ebola is so serious that they don’t want their own citizens because of the danger of any spread, it cannot be that Kenya we are so good that we are willing to take the risk,” Gachagua said.
His remarks come as the Trump administration moves ahead with plans to quarantine American citizens exposed to the ongoing Ebola outbreak in Central Africa at a facility in Kenya rather than bringing them back to the United States. US officials say the move is intended to prevent the virus from reaching American soil.
The proposed facility, expected to be located at Laikipia Air Base in Nanyuki, would host Americans exposed to the Ebola virus while they remain asymptomatic.
The United States has committed millions of dollars toward Kenya’s Ebola preparedness and plans to deploy public health personnel to support operations.
Gachagua has been among the most vocal political leaders opposing the arrangement, welcoming a recent High Court decision that temporarily suspended the establishment and operationalisation of any Ebola-related quarantine, isolation or treatment facility in Kenya linked to foreign governments pending the hearing of a constitutional petition.
The former Deputy President praised the Judiciary for what he described as protecting Kenyans from a dangerous public health experiment and accused the government of failing to adequately explain the details of the agreement.
The controversy has triggered widespread concern among health professionals, civil society organisations and political leaders, many of whom have questioned why Kenya should host a facility for Americans exposed to Ebola despite not having a confirmed Ebola case.
Laikipia leaders have also demanded transparency from the government, questioning why the facility is being proposed in Kenya rather than in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the outbreak originated. Several MPs from the county have argued that the safety of Kenyans must remain the highest priority.
Meanwhile, the Kenyan government has defended the proposal, insisting it forms part of broader Ebola preparedness efforts and would strengthen the country’s capacity to respond to infectious disease outbreaks.
Officials maintain that any international cooperation will be guided by Kenyan laws, public health regulations and biosafety standards.
The legal battle over the controversial facility is expected to continue when the matter returns to court, with public attention now focused on whether the project will proceed or be permanently halted.
