By KPC Reporter
A row has erupted over plans to establish a proposed Ebola quarantine and treatment facility in Laikipia County.
Local Members of Parliament are demanding answers from the national government even as health authorities insist there are no confirmed Ebola cases in Kenya.
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The protest by Laikipia leaders comes as the Ministry of Health intensifies preparedness measures following the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which has heightened regional concern.
In a joint statement, Laikipia MPs led by Laikipia East MP Mwangi Kiunjuri questioned the rationale behind locating an Ebola facility in their county and accused the government of failing to provide sufficient information to the public.
“Our collective conscience is greatly disturbed by the news that there is intention by the Government of Kenya to have an Ebola Quarantine and Treatment Facility in Laikipia County,” the lawmakers said.
The MPs demanded greater transparency, posing a series of questions to the government, including: “Why is the Government not giving full disclosure of its intentions?” and “Why Laikipia?”
They further questioned why such a facility would not instead be established closer to the source of the outbreak in the DRC.
“In our view, and as the representatives of the great people of Laikipia County, we see no logic in Kenya and Laikipia County hosting such a facility,” the statement read.
The lawmakers insisted that “the people of Laikipia and Kenya at large deserve full transparency from the National Government on this matter” and maintained that the safety of residents “must and should remain the highest priority.”
However, Public Health and Professional Standards Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni sought to calm fears, assuring Kenyans that the country remains Ebola-free despite heightened surveillance efforts.
Speaking in Nyandarua County, Muthoni revealed that 14 suspected Ebola cases had been identified and tested across the country, but all samples returned negative results.
“There are currently no confirmed Ebola cases in Kenya,” she said, adding that health authorities remain on high alert.
The PS said the Ministry of Health had strengthened screening at border entry points and was upgrading isolation facilities as part of its preparedness strategy.
“We are strengthening isolation centres and intensifying border screening measures to ensure the country remains prepared in case of any possible outbreak,” Muthoni said.
She also praised Community Health Promoters for their role in disease surveillance and early detection of suspected illnesses at the grassroots level.
“Their work continues to play a major role in disease surveillance, public health awareness and early reporting of suspected illnesses,” she said, while pledging continued government support and funding.
The conflicting messages are likely to fuel public debate over the government’s Ebola preparedness plans, with pressure now mounting on the Ministry of Health to clarify whether a dedicated quarantine or treatment facility is indeed planned for Laikipia and, if so, why the county was selected.
