“Don’t Brand Us an Ebola County,” Laikipia Warns

By James Murimi - Reporter

Kenya, May 29, 2026 - Laikipia County has fiercely opposed plans to establish an Ebola quarantine and isolation facility in the region, warning that the move risks unfairly branding the county as Kenya’s centre for Ebola treatment and containment.

In a sharply worded statement sent to newsrooms on Friday by County Director of Communications John Wambugu, the County Government of Laikipia said the proposed facility would inflict lasting reputational and economic damage on the county despite Laikipia not being an epicentre of any Ebola outbreak.

Governor Joshua Irungu’s administration warned that once the perception takes root that Laikipia hosts an Ebola containment centre, the stigma could prove impossible to erase.

“The establishment of an Ebola quarantine facility within the county, irrespective of its technical purpose or scope, would almost certainly lead to Laikipia being erroneously perceived as a designated centre for Ebola treatment or containment,” the statement said.

“Such a perception, once entrenched, would be profoundly difficult to reverse.”

The county government argued that the fallout would extend beyond public fear and directly affect livelihoods, tourism, investment and long-term economic growth.

Officials warned that investors and visitors could begin avoiding the county due to fears associated with the deadly disease, damaging Laikipia’s standing as a secure and thriving destination.

“The consequences of such a mischaracterization would extend well beyond public discourse,” the statement read.

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“They would likely be felt in diminished investor confidence, a slowdown in tourism activity and broader hesitation in economic engagement with the county.”

The county further said it fully recognises the importance of global cooperation in combating infectious diseases but insisted that no region should carry what it termed an unfair burden of association with a highly contagious illness.

Laikipia leaders also faulted what they described as insufficient public participation and consultation on the proposed facility, warning that secrecy and poor communication were fuelling anxiety among residents.

The county government maintained that decisions of such magnitude must involve transparency, intergovernmental consultation and strict adherence to constitutional requirements.

In its official position, the county declared that it does not support the establishment of the proposed Ebola quarantine facility within Laikipia and urged the national government to seek “more appropriate, secure and socially sustainable alternatives”.

The dispute is expected to intensify debate over Kenya’s preparedness for infectious disease outbreaks and the political tensions surrounding where quarantine and isolation centres should be located.