Gachagua praises court for stopping controversial US Ebola centre plan in Kenya
By Sharon Atieno, May 29, 2026Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has praised the judiciary after the High Court temporarily halted government plans to establish an Ebola quarantine facility in Kenya under a reported arrangement involving the United States government.
In a statement shared on his X account on Friday, May 29, 2026, Gachagua described the court’s intervention as a critical step in protecting Kenyans from what he termed a dangerous and reckless health arrangement.
“The judiciary MUST at all times remain steady as the last line of defence in saving the Kenyan public from the excesses of a rogue regime that has gone berserk with sheer impunity,” Gachagua stated.
The former Deputy President further welcomed the ruling issued by the Milimani High Court, saying the decision had stopped what he called an “evil scheme” that could have exposed millions of Kenyans to risk.
“I salute and welcome the High Court of Kenya ruling on putting brakes on the evil scheme to establish an Ebola Centre in our country putting millions of lives at risk,” he added.
Court halts Ebola facility plans
The ruling followed a petition filed by Katiba Institute challenging plans by the government to establish an Ebola quarantine and treatment facility in Kenya.
In her ruling, Lady Justice Patricia Nyaundi temporarily barred the government, the Ministry of Health and any foreign partners from establishing or operationalising any Ebola exposure, quarantine, isolation or treatment centre in the country pending the hearing of the case.
The court also restrained authorities from admitting or facilitating the entry of Ebola-exposed or infected individuals into Kenya under the reported arrangement.
Gachagua praises health professionals
Gachagua also commended Kenyan health professionals and members of the public who spoke against the proposed arrangement, saying their voices played an important role in pushing for accountability.
“I commend the people of Kenya, especially our health professionals, for boldly speaking out against this reckless and ill-thought-out misadventure,” he said.
The remarks come amid growing national debate over Kenya’s preparedness for Ebola and reports suggesting that the United States was considering sending exposed individuals to Kenya for monitoring and treatment.
While the government has maintained that any international health cooperation would follow Kenyan laws and biosafety standards, critics continue to question whether the country has sufficient capacity to manage such risks without exposing citizens to danger.