Hotels in Laikipia have begun receiving tourist cancellations over plans for a US-linked Ebola quarantine facility in the area, the local county government says.
In filings before the High Court in Nairobi, the county government accused President William Ruto of sidelining it from a decision with far-reaching implications for public health, schools, the local economy and devolved governance.
The legal dispute concerns the establishment of an Ebola quarantine, monitoring and treatment facility for American citizens at the Laikipia Air Base in Nanyuki. This is part of a proposed Sh17 billion US-financed initiative, which has triggered fierce opposition due to concerns about transparency and public participation.
The 50-bed bio-isolation unit is designed to quarantine Americans exposed to the disease in the Democratic Republic of Congo for up to 21 days. However, Kenyan authorities insist that it will also be available to Kenyans if needed.
The county government claims that it was not consulted or involved in selecting the site, despite bearing constitutional responsibility for county health services, emergency preparedness, and the welfare of residents.
Instead, it claims that the process leading to the selection of the facility was opaque and failed to meet constitutional standards requiring consultation, transparency and accountability.
In a replying affidavit sworn by Laikipia Health Executive Committee Member Albert Taiti, the county argues that the national government's actions undermined the constitutional principles of cooperative governance by denying the county a role in site selection, emergency planning and risk assessment.
"That the fourth Interested Party's (Laikipia county government) concerns do not arise from opposition to legitimate public health interventions but rather from the manner, location, consultation process and risk management framework associated with the proposed facility," Mr Taiti states.
The affidavit was filed in support of petitions brought by the Katiba Institute and the Law Society of Kenya, which challenge the government's handling of the project.
The petitioners have questioned Kenya’s decision to host a facility linked to the transfer, quarantine and treatment of Ebola-exposed or Ebola-infected American nationals.
President William Ruto has previously taken ownership of the project and disclosed that he permitted it at the request of former US President Donald Trump. He maintains that the facility is part of broader public health preparedness efforts and is not exclusively intended for Americans.
However, the county government was not given an "adequate opportunity" to participate in the evaluation of the site, risk assessment, contingency planning or emergency response coordination before the project was announced.
"Articles 6(2), 10, 174 and 189 of the Constitution require cooperation, consultation and mutual respect between the National Government and County Governments in the discharge of their respective functions," the affidavit says.
It further states, "The National Government did not conduct meaningful, structured and substantive intergovernmental consultation... prior to the identification and announcement of the proposed facility."
The county argues that the fallout from the controversy is already being felt in one of Kenya's leading tourism destinations, with violent protests having occurred.
Nanyuki is the economic hub of Laikipia and a gateway to some of the country's most famous wildlife attractions and conservancies, as well as Mount Kenya National Park.
According to the county government, hotels have started receiving cancellations from tourists concerned about the proposed facility.
"Reports indicate that hotels within Laikipia County are already receiving cancellations from tourists due to apprehension that the establishment of the Ebola Facility in the area may put the entire local population at risk of Ebola infection," Mr Taiti says.
He warns that tourism supports thousands of livelihoods in the county, and that any prolonged disruption could lead to job losses and broader economic hardship.
"It is reckless for the respondents to select Laikipia as the venue for the Ebola facility knowing that the county heavily relies on tourism," the affidavit states.
The county also claims that it was denied the opportunity to prepare stakeholders in the tourism sector for the announcement and develop mitigation measures.
The affidavit also raises concerns about the proximity of the proposed site to schools operating within the Laikipia Air Base.
It states that Airbase Primary School and Airbase Junior School share the same installation in which the quarantine facility is intended to be established.
“The 4th Interested Party is deeply concerned that the establishment of the infectious disease quarantine and isolation facility within the same installation occupied daily by schoolchildren raises serious questions relating to child protection, public health risk management, emergency preparedness, crisis response planning and institutional safety safeguards,” says the county.
The county argues that no information has been disclosed to show that child impact assessments, school safety reviews or emergency evacuation frameworks were conducted before the site was selected.
"Children constitute a uniquely vulnerable category of persons whose rights and welfare enjoy heightened constitutional protection," the county says.
The county also criticised the government for failing to provide sufficient information on biosafety safeguards, pathogen containment systems and long-term public health protections for surrounding communities.
It says that residents have not been provided with the scientific basis for selecting the site or the measures intended to minimise risk.
"Public confidence in disease preparedness initiatives is enhanced through transparency, accountability and meaningful stakeholder engagement," Mr Taiti says.
The court had previously certified the petitions as urgent and issued interim orders to halt the implementation of the proposed facility, pending further directions.
The Laikipia County Government urged the court to uphold the petitioners' requests and compel the government to conduct and publicly disclose full public participation, biosafety, and public health risk assessments before proceeding with the project.
"Constitutional governance demands that public health objectives be pursued through lawful, transparent, consultative and accountable processes," the county says.
The case is set for mention on June 23, 2026.
