NAIROBI – In a bold move, Kenya’s president has come forward to support a controversial Ebola quarantine facility funded by the United States, despite facing public opposition and a court injunction against the project.
President William Ruto addressed the nation on Monday night, underscoring the deep-rooted collaboration between Kenya and the U.S. in health initiatives. He emphasized that the quarantine center at Laikipia Air Base is one of 24 planned across the country to tackle potential Ebola outbreaks.
The facility has sparked significant unrest among Kenyans after the U.S. announced that American Ebola patients would not return to the States but instead be quarantined in Kenya. This decision is part of a $13 million investment by the U.S. to strengthen health partnerships with Kenya.
The legal battle intensified as the high court extended a halt on the facility’s development and the reception of international patients. This action followed a lawsuit by the Law Society of Kenya and the Katiba Institute, which argued that Kenya’s health infrastructure could not manage an influx of foreign Ebola patients.
Breaking his silence on the issue, Ruto clarified his approval of the facility, citing longstanding diplomatic ties.
“When President Trump requested Kenya’s assistance for a center at Laikipia Air Base, I consented due to our decades-long partnership with the U.S.,” Ruto explained, highlighting the mutual benefits of the collaboration.
Ruto said the facilities established across the country under the partnership would also benefit Kenyans in the event of an Ebola outbreak.
“We are a responsible government. We know what we are doing. People should relax. Politicians should avoid reckless, unnecessary talk that doesn’t mean anything,” he said.
