The county government of Kakamega has revealed intentions to create two Ebola quarantine centers as part of measures to enhance Kenya’s readiness against the lethal virus.
Kakamega Deputy Governor Ayub Savula disclosed that the county administration will establish quarantine facilities following discussions with the Ministry of Health.
Savula, on Friday, June 5, indicated the decision was approved during a recent county cabinet session amid rising apprehensions about Ebola outbreaks in regions of East and Central Africa.
“We have already conducted a session and examined how we are prepared to address the Ebola disease that is endangering the East African region. We have agreed in our meeting that we must be prepared and deploy public officials to control the disease in Kenya and the East African region,” he stated.
The Deputy Governor noted that the county administration fully supports the initiative, including the creation of isolation facilities to manage any potential outbreak.
“In Kakamega County, we are establishing two centers, and the cabinet has determined that we will have those facilities where individuals with the disease will be quarantined,” Savula mentioned.
According to him, Kakamega was chosen due to its strategic position as a major transit route connecting western Kenya to neighboring countries and important towns within the nation.
“We agreed to establish two Ebola quarantine centers in Kakamega County because it is a transit zone along Busia, Bungoma and Eldoret,” he explained.
The announcement comes just two weeks after Kenya and the United States reached an agreement to develop a 50-bed Ebola quarantine and bio-isolation facility at the Laikipia Air Base in Nanyuki.
However, the project has been placed in doubt pending the hearing and resolution of a legal challenge filed against the facility.
The U.S.-supported center was intended to offer emergency triage, testing and isolation services for American citizens, contractors and peacekeepers who may encounter Ebola.
Despite public opposition and the ongoing court case, President William Ruto has defended the establishment of the Laikipia facility, maintaining that it constitutes part of Kenya’s comprehensive disease preparedness approach.