Korere Demands Answers Over Proposed Ebola Facility In Laikipia
News Updated: 03 June 2026 17:19 EAT
Laikipia women representative Sarah Korere speaking before the National Assembly
Laikipia Woman Representative Sarah Korere has intensified pressure on the government over plans to establish a U.S.-supported Ebola quarantine facility at Laikipia Air Base, saying residents remain unconvinced that their safety concerns have been adequately addressed. Speaking in the National Assembly, Korere said leaders from the region were raising issues directly communicated to them by the people they represent.
"We've heard a very elaborative explanation from the Cabinet Secretary and Speaker coming from Laikipia. We have a lot of reservations and especially concerns from the people we lead because we are representatives of the people. Speaker, it is clear that this Ebola is a rare and fatal disease and common sense will dictate that if this disease starts in a particular place, it will be natural that you just contain it where it has started."
Korere questioned the rationale behind transporting individuals exposed to Ebola to Kenya instead of managing them closer to the source of the outbreak. She argued that the government had not sufficiently explained why Kenya was being considered for such a role, especially given previous global health emergencies.
"I want to ask the Cabinet Secretary. He has said that the government of Kenya and the government of the US signed an agreement way back in 2015, and in 2019 there was Corona which was a global problem. We didn't see the US come out whether they have come out now to construct a Ebola isolation center or a center to help the Ebola people who are infected by Ebola in Laikipia or anywhere in this country, and if they have, probably the Cabinet Secretary can tell us about this Ebola thing."
The legislator also referenced statements by American officials regarding Ebola containment, saying many residents were troubled by reports that exposed U.S. citizens could be brought to Laikipia while not being treated within the United States itself.
"I want to ask the Cabinet Secretary. You know, it's very unfortunate that we saw a US Secretary of State in Washington declaring that they will not allow even one single case of an Ebola-infected US citizen—I mean, Ebola to set foot in America. So if they are infected in Congo, they will not take them to treat them in America. They will not treat them in Congo. They will bring them to Laikipia."
Korere linked the controversy to historical grievances in Laikipia, arguing that many residents continue to feel marginalized decades after colonial land acquisitions transformed ownership patterns across the county.
"And you know, members, allow me to say this. You know the people of Laikipia, we have never healed from the aftermath of colonization. We still feel that even today we are still being colonized because half of our land went to the British colonizers and it later went to their citizens, and we have never regained a single inch of the ranches they took from us. And now they want to bring Corona—and you know I mean Ebola."
A key concern raised by the MP was accountability in the event of a disease outbreak linked to the facility. She challenged the government to explain what guarantees exist for Kenyan citizens should containment measures fail and infections spread into surrounding communities.
"And you know I'm just saying because I represent people who are concerned that if Americans are to be flown to Laikipia Air Base to be treated there, what happens if this disease, God forbid, leaks out and probably people around Nanyuki are infected by Ebola, will the American government take charge and treat the Kenyan citizens the way they would like to treat the American citizens? That is one."
Beyond health concerns, Korere warned that uncertainty surrounding the proposed facility was already affecting Laikipia's tourism sector, a major pillar of the county's economy. She said businesses dependent on visitors were beginning to feel the impact of negative perceptions associated with the project.
The MP concluded by accusing authorities of failing to communicate effectively with the public, arguing that misinformation thrives when official information is delayed or unclear. She called on the Cabinet Secretary to provide a clear public engagement strategy capable of addressing fears and restoring confidence among residents.
"The concern also is we have a lot of tourism in Laikipia and as I speak now there is a lot of cancellations by the people who are traveling to the lodges of Laikipia. Can the Cabinet Secretary tell us how are they going to communicate to the citizen because probably most of this mayhem is because of miscommunication? Whose message is it that the citizen are getting miscommunicated by people who are not in authority to give that information to them? Why should the people who are in authority didn't give the correct information to the citizens of Kenya and the citizens of Laikipia?"
Tags: Ebola Ebola Outbreak Edit Editor's Pick Editors choice Health Ministry Ministry Of Health Signs Signs Media Kenya Limited Signsmedia Signstv Signstvkenya Article Laikipia Air base Laikipia County Member Of Parliament News Article Sarah Korere
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FELIX MAKONA
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