President William Ruto has defended Kenya’s decision to allow the United States to establish a dedicated Ebola preparedness facility in the country, arguing that turning down the request would have been irresponsible given the regional health threat and decades of American support for Kenya’s health sector.
Speaking during a joint press conference in South Africa on Wednesday, Ruto offered his most detailed explanation yet of the controversial facility established at Laikipia Air Base in partnership with the United States.
The facility has attracted public debate amid reports that it could be used to isolate and treat American personnel in the event of an Ebola outbreak linked to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Ruto said the request came from the United States, which maintains a significant military presence in Kenya and has invested heavily in the country’s disease surveillance and public health infrastructure.
“They did make a request to us to also set up one where they can use if there are citizens who require such support,” he said.
The President argued that Kenya would have been obliged to provide medical care regardless of nationality and said refusing the request would have been difficult given the longstanding health partnership between Nairobi and Washington.
“We would not throw them out because the Constitution of Kenya tells us that we are responsible for the health of all persons in Kenya at any given time,” he said.
Ruto revealed that the US has supported Kenya’s Ebola preparedness efforts to the tune of approximately Sh1.8 billion, helping establish infrastructure, training programmes and response mechanisms designed to contain any potential outbreak.
His remarks come amid a growing political debate over the facility, with critics questioning why Kenya agreed to host a dedicated unit linked to the US.
Ruto sought to calm public concerns over Kenya’s decision to host the Ebola preparedness facility, stressing that no Ebola case has been confirmed in the country.
“Ebola is not confined to one place,” Ruto said in response to a question from a South African journalist.
“So the big debate is going on, but that is the correct position.”
The President said Kenya’s proximity to the Democratic Republic of Congo, where an outbreak has been reported, coupled with the movement of Kenyan citizens and security personnel across the region, made preparation a necessity rather than an option.
He noted that Kenya had strengthened surveillance at all points of entry and was screening between 2,000 and 3,000 travellers daily arriving from affected areas and neighbouring countries.
“We have prepared ourselves adequately. We have taken command of all our entry points,” he said.
Ruto said the government had mobilised testing kits, reagents and specialised personnel while training thousands of health workers to respond in the event of an outbreak.
According to the President, Kenya has established 23 isolation facilities across the country as part of its preparedness plan.
One such facility, located at Laikipia Air Base and developed in partnership with the United States, has become the focus of public controversy.
Ruto defended the arrangement, saying the facility forms part of a broader health preparedness programme that has received substantial American support.
Ruto attributed much of the public backlash to misinformation and a lack of understanding about the country’s preparedness strategy.
“If we don’t prepare and a situation occurs, we would have to answer much more difficult questions than the ones we are answering now,” he said.
He added that it would have been difficult to reject an American request to establish the facility, particularly given decades of US support for Kenya’s health sector and ongoing investments in disease surveillance and emergency response infrastructure.
The remarks represent Ruto’s most detailed public defence yet of Kenya’s Ebola preparedness measures amid growing political debate over the US-supported facility and the country’s broader response to the regional health threat.
Comments
Sign in with Google to comment, reply, and like comments.
Continue with Google