Nanyuki residents have strongly opposed plans to establish a proposed Ebola quarantine facility in the town, insisting it poses a direct risk to the local community. The opposition has grown amid political debate, a court case, and rising tensions in Laikipia County.

Speaking during local mobilisation, on Monday, June 1, 2026, one resident, Martin Ndegwa, said the community would not accept the project under any circumstances.

“And we are here to categorically say hell no to an Ebola quarantine facility in Nanyuki. It is right at our doorstep. It is right in town,” he said.

He questioned the logic of hosting such a facility in Kenya while the disease is mainly reported elsewhere.

“And from what we are seeing in the news about Ebola, how is it that the Americans say they don’t want to touch this thing. They want to stay away from it. Yet we are the ones who think we are Wakanda, that we are going to step up and fight Ebola,” he added.

Ndegwa said residents wanted the facility relocated to countries already dealing with Ebola outbreaks.

“Take that facility to DRC. Take it to where it’s needed,” he said.

He also called for unity among residents in rejecting the plan.

“We are going to unite all young, both Gen Z, one term, two term, everybody in Nanyuki. We are going to completely reject this Ebola facility being built, not only in Nanyuki, but the entire Kenya,” he said.

Leaders escalate opposition stance

The remarks come as political leaders and opposition figures escalate criticism of the proposal. Former Defence Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa said no public health decision should be made without public participation, warning that leaders must prioritise citizens’ safety and trust.

“Our people are not children of a lesser God. No decision touching on public health should be undertaken without public participation and the full confidence of the citizens,” Wamalwa said.

He said he and other opposition leaders would visit Laikipia County to engage residents and express solidarity with those opposed to the facility.

Kalonzo Musyoka also criticised the plan, saying public health decisions must never treat human life as negotiable.

“The lives of our people are not bargaining chips,” he said.

The controversy has also reached the courts. The High Court in Nairobi issued temporary orders blocking the establishment of the facility pending the hearing of a petition challenging the project. The court also barred any transfer or admission of Ebola-infected persons into quarantine facilities in Kenya.

The United States government acknowledged the court case and said it remained in contact with Kenyan authorities over the matter, expressing hope for a resolution through consultation.

Meanwhile, protests erupted in Nanyuki on Monday, with hundreds of residents marching through the town. Demonstrators carried placards and demanded the full cancellation of the project, saying a suspension was not enough.

“It is the Ebola facility they plan to construct here that we do not want,” one protester said.