By Mumo Judah
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has praised the Judiciary following the High Court decision to halt the proposed establishment of an Ebola treatment and quarantine centre in Kenya, describing the ruling as a victory for public safety and constitutional protection.
Gachagua said the Judiciary must remain firm in protecting Kenyans against what he termed as government excesses and impunity, arguing that the court’s intervention had safeguarded millions of lives.
“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,” Gachagua said.
The former Deputy President also commended Kenyan health professionals and members of the public who opposed the proposed facility, saying they had shown courage by speaking out against what he described as a reckless and poorly planned move.
He accused President William Ruto’s administration of endangering citizens instead of protecting them from possible health threats, adding that other countries were strengthening their pandemic preparedness measures while Kenya was allegedly exposing its people to danger.
Gachagua further linked the controversy to broader governance concerns, accusing the government of mismanagement, corruption, conflict of interest, and state capture.
His remarks come amid growing public debate surrounding the government’s Ebola preparedness measures and the High Court ruling that temporarily stopped the establishment of the facility.
The government has maintained that preparedness measures are necessary to protect the country from potential regional Ebola outbreaks, even as the issue continues to trigger political and public reactions across the country.
