Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has claimed that the government's planned Ebola quarantine facility in Laikipia is part of a scheme to harm communities in the Mt Kenya region, escalating a political storm that has engulfed the controversial project.
Speaking during a meeting with Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) aspirants in Meru, Mr Gachagua alleged that the facility was a threat to residents of Meru, Laikipia and neighbouring counties.
"They want to bring Ebola here and wipe out our people," Mr Gachagua said, urging residents to reject the project.
The remarks came days after Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale confirmed that Kenya had agreed to host a United States-supported quarantine facility at Laikipia Air Base for people exposed to Ebola in the East African region.
Defending the project, Mr Duale said the facility would remain under Kenya's control and would not compromise the country's sovereignty.
"The Ebola facilities in Kenya are under the control of the Government of Kenya through the Ministry of Health," Mr Duale said, adding that the arrangement was intended to strengthen the country's preparedness for infectious disease outbreaks.
The Health CS also dismissed calls for public participation, arguing that emergency health preparedness measures did not require prior consultations.
"We don't need public participation to prepare for an outbreak," Mr Duale said.
According to the United States government, the proposed 50-bed facility is intended to quarantine American citizens and other authorised personnel who may have been exposed to Ebola during operations in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
US officials have maintained that the facility would not be used to treat Ebola patients and is designed as a precautionary measure to monitor individuals who may have been exposed to the virus but are not showing symptoms.
"This facility would be used to safely monitor people who may have been exposed to Ebola and to prevent the spread of disease," US officials said in statements explaining the proposal.
President William Ruto has also defended the initiative, saying Kenya was acting responsibly by supporting regional and global disease surveillance efforts.
The project has, however, faced fierce opposition from residents and political leaders, with concerns centring on public safety, transparency and the terms of the agreement between Nairobi and Washington.
The High Court last week suspended the implementation of the project and directed the government to release details of the agreement, safety protocols and environmental safeguards associated with the facility.
The dispute has since evolved into a political contest, with Mr Gachagua using the controversy to rally support in the Mt Kenya region while the government insists the project is purely a public health intervention aimed at preventing the spread of a deadly disease.
