Ndindi Nyoro to government: Listen to Kenyans, stop Nanyuki Ebola facility

Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro at Mugoiri Mixed Day Secondary School during the Kiharu Masomo Bora Students Career Fair 2026 on June 4, 2026/ ALICE WAITHERA

Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro has called on the government to listen to Kenyans and halt plans for a US-backed Ebola quarantine facility in Nanyuki.

The MP insisted that the project lacks public support and has been openly opposed by Kenyans, saying it poses unnecessary concerns for the country.

Speaking during the Kiharu Masomo Bora Students Career Fair 2026 at Mugoiri Mixed Day Secondary School, Nyoro urged the government to prioritise the views of Kenyans rather than external interests, maintaining that citizens across the country had overwhelmingly rejected the proposal.

He accused the government of disregarding public concerns and questioned its continued pursuit of the project despite growing opposition and ongoing legal challenges.

"I have been to many parts of this country and I have not encountered one Kenyan who is supporting this facility. Kenyans are telling the government with one voice that they do not want the Ebola facility to be established here in Kenya," said Nyoro.

His remarks come amid mounting public debate over the proposed quarantine centre at Laikipia Air Base in Nanyuki, which has attracted criticism from residents, civil society groups and political leaders.

The proposed facility has been at the centre of a heated national debate since reports emerged that the government had agreed to host a 50-bed quarantine centre for US citizens exposed to Ebola during outbreaks in neighbouring countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.

Government officials have maintained that the facility is intended for observation and quarantine of asymptomatic individuals and forms part of broader efforts to strengthen regional preparedness against Ebola outbreaks.

However, the proposal has triggered protests and court cases, with opponents arguing that Kenya should not shoulder the risks associated with managing potential Ebola cases from outside its borders.

The High Court recently suspended the project following petitions questioning both the legality of the arrangement and the level of public participation undertaken before the decision was made.

The court also directed the government to disclose all agreements, approvals, risk assessments and operational protocols related to the project.

"Let us see you at JKIA welcoming those Ebola patients. Let us see you receiving them the same way you welcome tourists," Nyoro said as he challenged government officials to publicly demonstrate confidence in the project.

The government has defended the plan, arguing that the facility is part of a broader emergency preparedness programme and long-standing health cooperation between Kenya and the United States, and that the centre will strengthen the country's disease surveillance and response capacity.

"We see American leaders because they are accountable to the people of the US, they have said they don’t want Ebola cases in the US. But our leaders have put money ahead of Kenyans' interests. Kenyans have rejected colonialism. They have rejected the idea that the US can refuse to host Ebola cases while expecting Kenya to do so," Nyoro said.

The MP further linked the issue to Kenya's international commitments, citing the deployment of Kenyan police officers to Haiti and warning against decisions that could place citizens at unnecessary risk.

"We do not want a continued pattern of tragic failures that put the lives of Kenyans on the line. We are even wondering what kind of reasoning the government is using. If we are using the logic of caring for Kenyans, then it is only right that we listen to Kenyans," he said.

Despite court orders suspending the project, reports indicate that American personnel and medical equipment have already been deployed to Laikipia Air Base as preparations for the facility continue.

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has, however, insisted that the facility will not be reserved for Americans. He has maintained that the centre will serve both Kenyans and foreign nationals and will be operated by the Kenya Defence Forces as part of the country's wider Ebola preparedness programme.

The dispute has exposed differing accounts from Kenyan and US officials over the intended use of the facility, even as legal proceedings and public opposition continue.