Mehmet Oz, head of the U.S. Centres for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), has identified Kenya as the most suitable location for an Ebola quarantine facility for American citizens due to its proximity to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Speaking during a White House press briefing on Tuesday, June 2, Oz said Kenya's location would allow patients to receive urgent medical care more quickly if needed.
"The main issue with having a facility close to the Democratic Republic of the Congo is that if a patient becomes sick again, and I speak as a heart doctor, I want to take the patient to the operating room right next door to where they are, not to another building or several blocks away because that time is precious to us," Oz said.
He added that U.S. and Kenyan officials are in talks following a High Court order that temporarily halted the construction of the proposed facility in Nanyuki.
Oz expressed confidence that the State Department would work something out with Kenya, noting the presence of a British military base in the area.
He added that while the U.S. has support from other countries like Germany, sending patients across the world is not the wisest move.
His remarks come days after President William Ruto defended the proposed medical quarantine facility at Laikipia Air Base, describing it as a routine and necessary measure to protect the country from dangerous diseases.
Following a media roundtable at Wajir State Lodge, the President urged politicians and community leaders not to politicise public health measures.
"The health and safety of Kenyans remain our top priority," Ruto wrote on X, adding that the government is taking all necessary steps to prevent, detect, and manage potential cases with international support.
Addressing public concerns, the President said the facility at Laikipia Air Base is part of a broader national disease preparedness network that includes 23 similar centres across the country, including facilities at Kenyatta National Hospital and Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital.
"I want to assure this nation that we know what we are doing," Ruto said during the roundtable.
The debate over the facility intensified after hundreds of residents staged protests in Nanyuki, Laikipia County, on Monday, June 1, opposing plans to establish the isolation centre at a nearby military base.
The demonstrations came days after the High Court temporarily blocked the project.
Kenya has not recorded any confirmed Ebola cases.