Laikipia county leaders have strongly opposed plans to set up a US-requested Ebola quarantine and treatment centre within the county.Governor Joshua Wakahora Irungu stated that the facility was proposed without consulting local leaders and warned that it could pose unnecessary risks to residents.

He emphasised that Laikipia currently has no recorded Ebola cases and that while the county is prepared for any possible outbreak, introducing a quarantine facility could endanger people where there is no disease yet.

MPs from the county, including Mwangi Kiunjuri, Sarah Korere, Wachira Karani and Jane Kagiri, also raised concerns over transparency, safety, and unclear site selection criteria.

They questioned why Laikipia was chosen instead of regions closer to the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), suggesting that resources would be better spent strengthening containment at the source.The proposed 50-bed unit at Laikipia Air Base is intended to isolate Americans potentially exposed during the DRC outbreak.The county leaders have vowed to resist the construction, insisting on full public engagement before any such project is considered.

The controversy highlights tensions between national and county authorities over health preparedness and community safety in response to cross-border disease threats.