Kenya’s leader is standing firm on his decision to allow an American-supported Ebola isolation facility at a military installation in the country’s central region, describing it as part of broader national emergency planning and ongoing health cooperation with Washington.
The East African nation gave approval last week for an American proposal to build the facility at a central Kenya military airfield for U.S. citizens who might have encountered Ebola exposure.
Community members and area officials in Nanyuki, located close to the installation, organized demonstrations on Monday opposing the proposed facility. Protesters expressed concerns about potential community exposure to Ebola and challenged the decision to provide quarantine services for American nationals. The demonstration came amid increasing public opposition and court proceedings aimed at stopping the project.
In his first public comments regarding the facility, the president said such arrangements were routine and comparable to other installations already operating throughout Kenya.
“The facility that is at Laikipia Air Base is not a facility different from all the other facilities that we have across Kenya,” the president told media representatives in northern Kenya late Monday, encouraging citizens not to question the government’s emergency planning.
The Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda are currently fighting the uncommon Bundibugyo variant of the Ebola virus in an outbreak that has claimed 48 lives and been designated a public health emergency of international concern by the WHO. The outbreak is advancing faster than the international response, which began slowly.
The Kenyan leader said he authorized the facility following a request from U.S. President Donald Trump for Kenya’s support, referencing decades of collaboration with Washington on health initiatives including HIV/AIDS, Ebola and COVID-19.
The president explained that Kenya had established isolation, monitoring and treatment centers in 23 counties, noting the facility would assist Kenyans along with international partners, including Americans, when necessary.
He rejected opposition to the proposal, stating Kenya had an obligation to prepare for potential Ebola cases, including among Kenyans residing or working in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
A court temporarily halted the plan last week following a legal challenge that argued the location could threaten public health. The president did not reference the court’s decision.
A U.S. military C-130 cargo aircraft landed in Nanyuki as late as Friday afternoon, based on flight-tracking service Flightradar24 data.
Two Nanyuki locals also reported observing military planes heading toward the base during the weekend, although Reuters could not verify whether they were American aircraft.
Kenya has strengthened border screening procedures at land and air entry points and is examining approximately 3,000 individuals daily, the president reported, noting that no Ebola cases have been found in the nation.
“We are a responsible government. We know what we are doing,” he stated.
