Ruto Defends US-Backed Ebola Facility in Kenya, Says Rejection Would Be ‘Inhuman’

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William Ruto has defended his government’s decision to allow the United States to establish an Ebola quarantine facility in Kenya, describing opposition to the project as unreasonable and lacking compassion.

Speaking during a state visit to South Africa on Thursday, Ruto said Kenya was acting responsibly by accepting the US proposal to construct the facility at its own expense.

“I can tell you without fear of any contradiction, and I can look at everybody in the eye and tell you we are doing the right thing,” the Kenyan leader said at a press conference.

He added that rejecting the request would have sent the wrong message at a time when the region faces the threat of an Ebola outbreak.

“It would be most unfortunate if, on one request by the Americans to set up a facility at their cost, we would refuse. We would look very inhuman,” Ruto stated.

The remarks come amid growing controversy over the construction of a 50-bed Ebola quarantine unit at the Laikipia Air Base in Kenya. The project, intended to accommodate Americans who may have been exposed to the virus, has sparked protests and legal challenges.

Earlier this week, at least two people were reportedly killed during demonstrations in Nanyuki, the town hosting the military base where the facility is being built.

A Kenyan court had ordered the suspension of work on the project on May 28, but reports indicate construction activities have continued. The United States Embassy in Nairobi has said it is working with the Kenyan government to address concerns raised over the facility.

The debate comes as health authorities continue efforts to contain the Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo, which remains the epicentre of infections. The disease has also spread to neighbouring Uganda, where multiple cases have been reported.