Ruto defended the government’s decision to establish an Ebola containment facility at the Laikipia airbase with support from the United States, arguing that early preparedness was necessary given Kenya’s close economic, military, and population links with eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. His comments came amid growing domestic opposition to the facility and a second consecutive week of demonstrations in Laikipia County.

"We have support from different countries. We have support from the United States to manage this situation,” Ruto said, adding that international partners had offered assistance in establishing one of 23 planned isolation units. He stated that Kenya had already put in place more than 20 centres capable of handling potential Ebola cases and strengthened screening procedures at border entry points.

The debate intensified after clashes between protesters and police left one person dead and several others injured. Authorities arrested 35 people during the demonstrations before releasing them on a cash bail of Ksh.5,000 each. Local residents and family members of those affected have called for accountability over the violence. The identity of a second person reported killed during the unrest had not been publicly confirmed at the time of reporting.

Witnesses in Laikipia described tense scenes around protest sites, with crowds gathering near access roads leading to the proposed facility. Security officers were deployed to disperse demonstrators as concerns over public safety and the purpose of the quarantine centre fueled opposition.

The regional health situation has added urgency to Kenya’s preparations. The World Health Organization recently reported that three laboratories in the Democratic Republic of the Congo had exhausted supplies required to test for Ebola, creating delays in processing samples and raising concerns about outbreak monitoring and containment efforts. Health officials are awaiting critical laboratory reagents needed to resume testing and strengthen surveillance operations.

Speaking to Lamaane News Network, a regional public health analyst familiar with East African disease surveillance efforts said preparedness measures remain essential for countries connected to outbreak zones through trade, travel, and security deployments. "Cross-border movement means neighbouring states must maintain readiness even when no domestic cases have been detected,” the analyst said.

Kenya remains Ebola-free, according to government officials. Ruto emphasized that thousands of Kenyan citizens live and work in eastern DRC and that Kenyan troops are deployed in the region, factors that increase potential exposure risks.

The developments underscore the challenge facing governments across East Africa: balancing public health preparedness with public concerns, as authorities seek to prevent the spread of one of the world’s deadliest viral diseases beyond current outbreak areas.