State must stop bowing to foreign interests at the expense of Kenyans

 Health workers disinfect an area after a suspected Ebola death in eastern DR Congo on May 25, 2026. [AFP]

The Ruto administration is forging ahead with plans to establish a US Ebola quarantine and treatment centre in Laikipia County against a court order and the wishes of the majority of Kenyans.

Laikipia residents reported seeing three huge US helicopters landing at Nanyuki’s Laikipia Air Base last Friday and Saturday. CNN has confirmed Kenyans' fears, saying Americans helping to run the quarantine facility landed at the air base on Saturday.

The decision by Kenya to go ahead with the controversial American project is shocking but not surprising. It is unsurprising because it is in line with the Kenya Kwanza government's silent foreign policy that appears geared at pleasing foreigners, even at the expense of local interests.

This became apparent early in President Ruto's leadership. Only a day after he was sworn into office in 2022, Dr Ruto hurriedly rescinded Kenya's recognition of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic after talks with Morocco, to the consternation of Kenyans and the international community.

Further, a few weeks after he came into office, Dr Ruto disregarded public sentiment and went ahead to lift the 10-year ban on Genetically Modified crops, a move that critics argued would benefit multinational seed companies, hurt small-scale farmers and pose possible health threats.

Kenya has also been accused of supporting Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces fighting the Sudanese army against the wishes of the public, and potentially exposing Kenya to security threats.

In addition, in 2024, Ruto ignored public protests and deployed 980 police officers to Haiti for the UN-backed Multinational Security Support mission to fight armed gangs. Kenyans interpreted the move as the Ruto government dancing to the tune of the US and wondered why Washington, which is by far more powerful militarily, did not deploy its own security personnel. There are many other such examples.

The move by the government to forge ahead with the controversial decision to open the US quarantine at the Laikipia air base should be seen through the same lens, a government that is too eager to please foreign masters even at the expense of local interests.

It boggles the mind that the government is willing to allow the establishment of the Ebola isolation centre when the Trump administration has vowed it would not allow even its infected citizens to enter the US due to the high risk posed by Ebola. It is crystal clear that the Trump administration, in its characteristic nature, is putting the interests of the Americans first. On the other hand, Kenya is putting the interests of its people on the back burner at the behest of the US. This is unacceptable.

While we are not saying Ebola might not finally find its way into Kenya, it is wrong for the government to allow 'importation' of the virus by people who don't want even their Ebola-infected citizens to enter their country. And why should the quarantine be set up in a military base? Has the Kenyan government considered what it would mean for our security if our military personnel accidentally got exposed to the virus? The Ruto government should start putting Kenya first.