Ruto calms Ebola quarantine fears amid court suspension plan
Written by Eunice Onyancha on June 2, 2026
President William Ruto has defended the decision to set up the U.S.-backed Ebola quarantine facility at Laikipia Air Base in Nanyuki. He said he approved the project after receiving a direct request from the U.S., describing it as part of a long-standing health security partnership. According to him, the facility is meant to work in a similar way to Kenya’s Covid-19 isolation measures.
Ruto said Kenya takes global pandemic preparedness seriously, and pointed out that the country has already established 23 isolation units in different counties. He urged both the public and political leaders not to turn the issue into a political argument, calling it a necessary health security intervention.
However, the project has faced strong resistance. Residents of Nanyuki protested, and the Laikipia County Governor opposed the plan, arguing that local people were not adequately involved in the decision and expressing concerns about the risk of bringing Ebola into the region.
The dispute escalated in court. The High Court temporarily suspended the facility’s operations and ordered that no foreign patients be brought there. As a result, the planned 50-bed field hospital was put on hold while a lawsuit filed by the Law Society of Kenya and the Katiba Institute is being heard.
Despite of the court suspension and growing public anger, President Ruto has continued to reassure Kenyans, presenting the project as a responsible, science-based step designed to protect people rather than create danger.
