NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 14— Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has challenged President William Ruto’s administration to grant journalists access to Laikipia Air Base to verify the status of a controversial Ebola quarantine and isolation facility.Gachagua accused the government of concealing the project’s true status and claimed that activities linked to the proposed facility were continuing despite government denials and ongoing court proceedings.“We want that airbase opened for the press to go and confirm whether the construction is going on or not,” Gachagua said.The former DP spoke on Sunday during a church service in Kanduyi, Bungoma County, where he was joined by Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i and other opposition leaders.He called for independent verification by the media, insisting that official assurances that the project had been halted were misleading.Gachagua alleged that heavy construction activity was ongoing around the Nanyuki area, claiming that hundreds of trucks were ferrying building materials to the site.“I heard Duale saying they will obey the court order. That is a lie. That thing is ongoing,” he said.Gachagua further claimed that Kenya was already facing international repercussions over the proposed facility, alleging that Israel had imposed travel restrictions on Kenyan travellers over concerns linked to Ebola preparedness plans.“Please William Ruto, you have hurt us, you have harassed us, but bringing us Ebola? You’ve gone too far now,” he said.His remarks come amid an escalating political and legal dispute over the proposed Ebola exposure, quarantine, isolation or treatment facility reportedly planned at Laikipia Air Base under a partnership involving the United States.The controversy has drawn opposition from local leaders and residents in Laikipia, who have raised concerns over public participation, health risks, and the potential impact on the county’s tourism sector.On June 2, the High Court ordered that the status quo be maintained regarding the proposed establishment of an Ebola facility in Kenya after a petition challenging the project was filed.The conservatory orders effectively barred any steps toward the establishment or operationalisation of the facility pending further court directions.Despite the order, critics of the project maintain that activities linked to the proposed facility have continued on the ground.President William Ruto has defended the government’s Ebola preparedness programme, dismissing criticism of the Laikipia facility and insisting Kenya is strengthening its disease surveillance and response systems as part of broader national security measures.Speaking during a media roundtable on June 1, Ruto said Kenya had not recorded any Ebola cases and maintained that the planned facility was part of a wider preparedness framework similar to existing isolation and treatment centres across the country.“We are a responsible government, and we know what we are doing,” the President said, urging leaders not to politicise public health interventions.The dispute has deepened further after the Laikipia County Government formally opposed the project in court filings, arguing that county authorities were not adequately consulted and raising concerns over public health, tourism, and the welfare of students in institutions located within the airbase compound.