Kibe made the remarks following reports that the United States government is deploying a specialized public health response team to Kenya to support the care, monitoring, and quarantine of American citizens leaving the Democratic Republic of Congo amid the ongoing Ebola outbreak concerns.
Reacting to the development, Kibe shared his concerns in a statement that quickly attracted attention online.
“I can smell a lockdown loading,” he said, fueling discussion among Kenyans already following regional developments related to the Ebola outbreak.
The statement comes after US authorities confirmed the deployment of a highly trained public health team as part of a coordinated interagency mission involving the US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, the State Department, and the Department of War.
According to the US government, the team includes physicians, nurses, laboratory technologists, mental health professionals, and engineers with expertise in epidemic response and emergency medical operations.
Officials also disclosed that some of the personnel involved previously participated in Ebola response operations during the 2014-2015 outbreak in Liberia and have undergone specialized training in quarantine procedures, treatment protocols, and the use of personal protective equipment.
The deployment has intensified public discussion in Kenya, particularly on social media, where many users have been drawing comparisons to measures implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Although the Kenyan government has not announced any lockdown measures, authorities have continued to emphasize preparedness and surveillance following reports of Ebola cases in neighbouring countries.
President William Ruto recently directed the formation of a National Response Committee to coordinate Kenya’s preparedness and response strategy against any possible Ebola-related emergencies.
The government says the committee will focus on strengthening public awareness, emergency preparedness, and mobilisation of technical and financial resources to respond to any eventualities linked to the outbreak.