By Mumo Judah, Nairobi, June 3, 2026
Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has called on the United States government to redirect funding earmarked for the controversial Ebola quarantine facility in Laikipia Airbase to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), arguing that containment efforts should be strengthened at the source of the outbreak rather than relocating exposed individuals to Kenya.
Speaking in the Senate on June 3, 2026, Sifuna said the current approach under discussion risks overburdening Kenya’s already strained public health system while failing to address the root cause of the regional outbreak.
He argued that international partners should prioritize building capacity within the DRC to prevent further cross-border spread of the disease.
“Instead of us transferring patients from DRC to come and receive treatment here, I think that the U.S. government should grow the capacity of the DRC itself to ensure that that disease does not leave the borders of the DRC,” Sifuna said during the Senate session.
The Senator proposed that funds supporting the Laikipia project be redirected to strengthen isolation units, emergency response systems, and disease containment infrastructure within the DRC under the leadership of President Félix Tshisekedi.
Sifuna maintained that investing in local containment systems in outbreak zones would be more effective and safer for the region compared to transporting potentially exposed individuals across borders for treatment or isolation.
He further questioned the government’s claims of strong national preparedness, arguing that parliamentary oversight findings and committee visits paint a different picture of Kenya’s health infrastructure capacity.
According to Sifuna, while official briefings often present a stable health system, on-the-ground assessments by Senate committees suggest that many public hospitals are under-resourced and struggling with overcrowding and limited medical supplies.
He also warned that the regional health risk is expanding beyond the DRC, citing reported Ebola-related fatalities in neighbouring Uganda, and cautioned that cross-border patient movement could heighten exposure risks within Kenya.
The Senator’s remarks come amid growing political and legal controversy surrounding the proposed Laikipia Ebola isolation facility, which has faced criticism from sections of the opposition and civil society groups over transparency, public participation, and safety concerns.
A section of opposition leaders, including Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka and former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, have also opposed the project, calling for strict adherence to a High Court order that temporarily halted its implementation.
They argue that the government should prioritize local containment strategies within affected countries rather than establishing offshore treatment or isolation facilities.
The debate continues to intensify as Parliament, the Judiciary, and the Executive remain engaged in parallel discussions over the legality, necessity, and regional implications of the Kenya–U.S. health cooperation framework underpinning the project.
