Laikipia Governor Joshua Irungu has strongly opposed plans to establish a United States-backed Ebola quarantine and treatment facility in Nanyuki, declaring that residents and local leaders will not allow the project to proceed in the county.
The governor’s remarks come amid growing controversy following reports that the national government had approved a proposal to set up a specialised 50-bed Ebola isolation centre at Laikipia Air Base.
According to reports, the facility would be used to isolate and treat American citizens and aid workers exposed to the Ebola outbreak currently affecting parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In a video statement shared online, Irungu said leaders in Laikipia had consulted and agreed that the county should not host the proposed facility, arguing that there are currently no Ebola cases reported in the area.
He maintained that introducing such a facility would unnecessarily expose residents to danger from a highly infectious disease.
The governor further noted that Nanyuki is a busy commercial and social hub with constant interaction between civilians and military facilities, warning that any Ebola-related project could trigger fear and disrupt livelihoods.
Irungu insisted that while the county government remains prepared to handle any future outbreak involving local residents, it cannot support what he described as an external quarantine arrangement at the moment.
He also urged residents to remain calm, saying county leaders would engage the national government directly to stop implementation of the proposal.
The planned facility has already triggered sharp reactions from political leaders, civil society groups and health stakeholders across the country.
The Law Society of Kenya has moved to court seeking to block the establishment of the Ebola facility, arguing that the process raises constitutional and public health concerns.
At the same time, the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union has demanded full disclosure of the agreement and warned of possible industrial action if transparency is not provided.
The proposed project is reportedly part of a wider strategy by the United States government to manage Ebola exposure cases outside its territory amid growing regional concerns over the outbreak.