Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i on Thursday, June 4, took Health CS Aden Duale to task over his claim that the government does not have to consult Kenyans on the building of an Ebola Quarantine facility in the country.

Matiang’i told CS Duale that listening to what Kenyans have to say on the matter was part of the key tenets of being a democratic country.

He opined that they had the right to share their thoughts on the project as it involved public health, which should be driven by public interest.

“We are a democracy, and the people of Kenya have a right to ask. Even if they ask stupid questions, it is still their right, and they also have a right to have all those questions answered.

“You cannot say that you don’t have to listen to the people of Kenya. You have to, unless you are running a dictatorship,” Matiang’i stated.

The Jubilee Party Presidential Aspirant told Duale that holders of public offices have a responsibility to engage with the citizens.

He reiterated sentiments made by PNU Party Leader Peter Munya, who opposed the establishment of the Ebola quarantine and isolation unit in Kenya, yet the virus was prevalent in other countries.

“The understanding we have about quarantine is that you quarantine people where you have a problem. You don’t fly them across to other countries. Why can’t you build the same facility in the DRC?” Matiang’i posed.

His statement came after Duale told the National Assembly that the government did not have to consult the people, after Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro told the CS that he had not met any Kenyans who supported the proposal.

According to the Health Boss, subjecting the issue to a lot of bureaucracy would undermine the country’s preparedness for the Ebola epidemic.

The High Court issued conservatory orders to temporarily halt the establishment of the quarantine and isolation facility in Laikipia County.