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Kenyan President William Ruto has once again defended his government’s decision to partner with the United States in establishing an Ebola quarantine facility for Americans.
Speaking during a one-day visit to South Africa, where he held talks with President Cyril Ramaphosa, Ruto said the administration of former U.S. President Donald Trump supported Kenya in developing the Ebola facility and broader health infrastructure projects, amounting to 1.8 billion Kenyan shillings.
The proposed Ebola quarantine facility in central Kenya is expected to host a 50-bed unit for Americans who may have been exposed to the deadly haemorrhagic virus.
More than 200 people have been infected in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is regarded as the epicentre of the outbreak. Neighbouring Uganda has also reported cases of the virus.
In Kenya, the project has sparked public protests, with critics arguing that it could pose health risks, particularly since the country has no confirmed Ebola cases.
“The Ebola situation in eastern DRC is a source of concern for any country, including Kenya, which is mindful of the health of its citizens,” Ruto said, adding that “the most responsible thing to do is to prepare.”
Credit: Reuters
During the visit, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa also addressed concerns about xenophobia, saying South Africans are not xenophobic despite incidents of violence against migrants.
He outlined government efforts to address rising anti-immigrant sentiment and attacks in parts of the country.
“Yes, there will be envoys. Yes, there will be people that we will send around, not only on the continent, but also around the world,” Ramaphosa said.
“What we seek to do is to get the issue of migration broadly and properly addressed, and to bring together key role players and countries to work together to address the challenge of migration.”
“South Africa has become an oasis for people who come here for a whole number of reasons. We need to work with sister countries to ensure this challenge is resolved.”
Kenya and South Africa also signed six new agreements to deepen bilateral cooperation in areas including trade, maritime transport, education, and culture.
Kenya remains South Africa’s largest trading partner outside the Southern African Development Community (SADC), with annual trade exceeding $675 million.
