President William Ruto has moved to reassure Kenyans that the country is prepared to prevent, detect and manage any potential Ebola outbreak, even as public concern grows over plans to establish a quarantine facility at Laikipia Air Base to treat US citizens exposed to the virus.

Speaking during a media roundtable at Wajir State Lodge on Monday evening, the president said the government had put in place strong public health measures to protect the country from the deadly viral disease.

Ruto said Kenya was screening an average of 3,000 travellers daily at all official entry points, adding that no Ebola case had been detected in the country so far.

“I want to assure the nation that the government of Kenya has made adequate arrangements and deployed every arsenal we have to make sure we protect Kenyans,” he said.

The president said the government had strengthened surveillance, screening and emergency response systems as part of broader disease preparedness measures.

His remarks come amid heightened debate over the planned quarantine and treatment facility at Laikipia Air Base, which is being set up with support from the United States government.

Ruto defended the arrangement, saying Kenya’s health partnership with the United States was not new and had supported the country for decades in responding to major public health challenges, including HIV/AIDS and the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Our partnership with the American government is mutually beneficial to us and to them. When President Donald Trump asked me to support them by having a centre in Laikipia Air Base, I gave the okay, because it is a partnership and agreement with friends who have walked with Kenya for over 40 years on health issues,” he said.

The president dismissed claims that the facility was unusual or intended to expose Kenyans to danger, insisting that it was part of Kenya’s established national disease preparedness framework.

He said the Laikipia facility was one of 23 centres identified across the country to support screening, isolation and treatment in the event of an outbreak.

According to the president, similar facilities exist or have been designated at Kenyatta National Hospital, the National Police Service Hospital, Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital, and Alupe Hospital in Busia, among others.

He said the centres were designed to ensure that Kenya can respond quickly and effectively to public health emergencies.

Ruto maintained that while Kenya had not reported any Ebola case, the risk could not be dismissed, particularly because of the movement of people between Kenya and countries where Ebola outbreaks have previously been reported.

He cited Kenyan security personnel serving in the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as ordinary Kenyans living and working there, saying the government has a duty to protect and treat its citizens should they be exposed to the disease.

“We have security people serving in the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as ordinary Kenyans working there. If they were to be victims of Ebola, we would have a responsibility as a country to treat them,” he said.

The president also warned political leaders and other stakeholders against turning public health preparedness into a political contest, arguing that disease response should be treated as a national security and public safety matter.

“I am wondering why anybody would want to politicise a matter so serious as a pandemic. We are a responsible government, and we know what we are doing,” he said.

Ebola is a severe and often fatal disease that requires rapid detection, isolation and treatment to prevent transmission. Public health experts have long warned that countries with major transport links must maintain strong surveillance systems, even when they have not recorded active cases.

Ruto said the government would continue working with development partners to strengthen Kenya’s health systems, while ensuring that any emergency response measures are aimed at protecting Kenyans and those within the country’s borders.

He insisted that the government’s position was guided by preparedness, not panic, and that Kenya would not wait for an outbreak before putting response systems in place.

The president said the country must remain alert, coordinated and ready, adding that the government’s priority is to ensure that any suspected case is detected early, isolated safely and managed effectively.

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