President William Ruto has defended plans to establish a US-funded Ebola facility at Laikipia Air Base, saying the project is part of a long-standing health partnership between Kenya and the United States, and will strengthen the country's disease surveillance and response capacity.
Speaking during a media roundtable in Wajir County on Monday, June 1, Ruto said the facility falls under the broader cooperation on global health security and pandemic preparedness.
“When President Trump asked the government of Kenya to support them by having a centre at Laikipia Air Base, I gave the okay because it was part of an agreement with friends who have worked with Kenya for 30 or 40 years,” said Ruto.
He cited decades of US support for Kenya’s health sector, including HIV/AIDS programmes, Ebola preparedness and Covid-19 vaccine research involving the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI).
President William Ruto explains why he okayed US Ebola facility in Laikipia pic.twitter.com/CdmB6vJP7x
— The Standard Digital (@StandardKenya) June 2, 2026
Ruto said the project, funded by the US at a cost of about Sh1.7 billion, is intended to boost Kenya’s ability to detect, isolate and manage infectious diseases.
He noted that the Laikipia facility would join 23 existing isolation and treatment centres across the country, including those at Kenyatta National Hospital, the National Police Hospital and Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital.
“These facilities are meant to ensure proper screening and immediate isolation and treatment of any positive cases to prevent the spread of disease,” he said.
The President further said the US-backed facility would serve both Kenyans and Americans and dismissed criticism from political leaders, insisting the government understood the public health implications of the project.
“We are a responsible government. We know what we are doing. People should relax,” he said.
Ruto also referenced a treatment facility established at Nairobi Hospital during the Covid-19 pandemic, through support from the United Nations Office at Nairobi, saying international partnerships have previously strengthened Kenya’s emergency response capacity.
He maintained that Kenya is prepared to respond to any Ebola outbreak, noting that enhanced surveillance and screening measures are in place at border points, airports and seaports.
According to Ruto, about 3,000 travellers are screened daily and no Ebola case has been detected in Kenya.
“We have prepared isolation units, surveillance systems and treatment facilities in 23 counties. If there were an Ebola case in Kenya, we know what to do,” he said.
The Bundibugyo strain of Ebola was declared in the Democratic Republic of Congo on May 15 and has since spread to Uganda and South Sudan.
The president has called on Kenyans to trust the government's response, saying the US has invested more than Sh200 billion in supporting Kenya’s health sector and that the Laikipia project aligns with efforts to strengthen universal healthcare and disease preparedness.
