Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has opposed plans to establish an Ebola quarantine and treatment facility in Laikipia County.
Gachagua claim the project poses a threat to residents of the Mount Kenya region and alleging it is part of a scheme to harm local communities.
Speaking while receiving DCP aspirants from Meru at his Wamunyoro home, Gachagua said residents of Meru, Laikipia and the wider Mount Kenya region reject the proposed facility, arguing that the risks associated with handling Ebola patients outweigh any potential benefits.
“We reject as people of Meru the establishment of an Ebola centre in Laikipia. We have every reason to believe that this Ebola centre is a strategic plan by William Ruto to wipe out the Mount Kenya community and more so the people of Meru and Laikipia,” Gachagua said.
The former deputy president questioned why Kenya should host an Ebola quarantine facility, citing concerns over the highly infectious nature of the disease and fears among local communities.
“The people of America and the American government have said that their own citizens should not be taken to their homes because of the danger and the risk that the virus is spreading,” he claimed.
Gachagua further criticized elected leaders from the region for what he described as silence on the matter.
“To our shock, all the elected Members of Parliament and senators from Meru are quiet. The senator has said nothing, MPs have said nothing, the governor has said nothing,” he said.
He urged the government to reconsider the project, insisting that residents would resist any attempt to establish such a facility near their communities.
“The people of Meru will not want this Ebola centre anywhere near Meru and indeed not in this country,” Gachagua said.
The remarks come amid a heated national debate over reports that a specialized Ebola preparedness and quarantine facility could be established in Laikipia as part of efforts to strengthen Kenya’s capacity to respond to infectious disease outbreaks.
Ebola is a severe viral disease that can cause serious illness and death in humans. According to the World Health Organization, outbreaks have primarily occurred in parts of Central and West Africa.
While mortality rates vary depending on the virus strain and quality of medical care, public health experts maintain that early detection, isolation, supportive treatment and strict infection prevention measures significantly reduce transmission risks.
Kenya has previously invested in disease surveillance and emergency response systems following regional outbreaks of Ebola, Marburg virus disease and other infectious diseases.
Health authorities have consistently emphasized that preparedness facilities are intended to protect the public by enabling rapid detection and containment of potential cases.
